Sunday 1 May 2011

Dead Man In The Park! .... I Saw Sunday - Week 33

 I Saw Sunday where you can join in with pictures, thoughts, observations, anything you like!




On a couple of my trips to the park with Grace, I've stopped and talked with a lovely old man in his mobility scooter.  He's 92 years old, charming and bright as a button. So when I saw him across the lake slumped in his scooter, my heart sank. 

"Oh no, he's dead!"  I thought, putting Grace on her lead and rushing around the lake to him. 

As I neared him, my legs went all wobbly and my mind was racing. I really didn't know what to do. There was no-one else about and I didn't even have my mobile on me. He'd become my responibilty. It wouldn't have felt right just to just leave him alone, dead in the middle of the park while I went for help. I thought about perhaps leaning over the handles, pressing the mobility scooter button and 'driving' him away. 

I stood beside him for a while, my heart in my throat, wondering just what to do.

Then with my heart pumping, I steeled myself and tentatively reached out my hand to his shoulder  ....  and he came ALIVE again. I nearly had a heart attack!

After I'd regained my composure, we had a chat and he told me he often liked to take a nap by the lake when the weather was nice. I nodded and agreed, but I couldn't help thinking, well you could've told me that on one of our other chats!

I did have my camera with me, but it seemed bad taste to ask him to pretend to be dead in his scooter again just so I had a picture for my blog!

36 comments:

earlybird said...

This had me laughing Deborah! I think you were right not to ask for his photo! Have a good week.

mamahasspoken said...

Don't need a picture, you did a great job describing this that the picture is alreay in my mind!
At first I was wondering what you would do then to find out he's not dead was, sorry, funny!

Susannah said...

I loved this and laughed aloud at the end. :-)

Jae Rose said...

You have such a gift for these comedy moments..they stand alone but would make a great compilation..Grace's adventures aside I think yours deserve mention too! made me :) Jae

jabblog said...

I was worried by your title but giggled at the end! I wonder if he sometimes pretends to see people's reactions . . .

cj Schlottman said...

Deborah,

This is so visual and gut wrenching. I felt as though I were going to start sweating with anxiety! I really like your style. This post brought back memories of my late husband when he was in one of those chairs. He was famous for taking little naps, right on the spot.

I agree with "Mamma." No photo necessary. You painted a word picture, which is ever so much more satisfying.

Namaste..........cj

Thanks for your comment on "We Are One Year Old today."

Brian Miller said...

hehe...you had us right there..no picture needed...big smiles...

Elizabeth said...

I tried out one of those scooters and made the mistake of asking my Mom if she wanted to try it. Then spent fifteen minutes chasing her all over the parking lot because she said,she couldn't remember where the brakes were. My siblings just stood around laughing and Mom was grinning the entire time. My younger sister put the cabosh on that idea by reminding Mom she never had a driver's license. We all quickly agreed. Love your post, laughed out loud. Thanks for the memory,

Elizabeth

Friko said...

Next time you see him take a nap, creep up on him and go 'boo'. That'll teach him to frighten you!

Or maybe not. Chances are that'll frighten HIM to death. Hm, would that be manslaughter?

Christine said...

Oh I did chuckle with evil thoughts with those last few lines. Funny stuff.

Elizabeth Grimes said...

Thank goodness! I laughed out loud when I imagined you asking him to play dead again. LOL!

Old Egg said...

There is another way to think of this in that had he died he was doing what he liked at the end enjoying his trip to the park. But it looks as though he may have a few more of those yet.

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

I was glad this ended with a smile. Well told.

Raven said...

LOL oh, I had a good mental image. ;)

Helen said...

Just wanted to take a minute to thank you so much for your concern. Sammy is home from the hospital, drainage tubes in his neck from the surgery sites. His eye was injured, though he can see. We are hoping time heals him completely.

A Hootie Hoot said...

I could just feel your heart racing as you ran over to him! I bet it skipped a beat when he moved as you touched him. So glad to hear that he was just taking a nap!

Anonymous said...

Your words said it all, no need for a picture. Next time you go walking, take your mobile phone!

Jenny said...

Oh my! Don't let your guard down, next time he may not just be sleeping...

Sandra said...

No, you don't phrase it like "play dead!" for the pic. You say, "Would you mind pretending to NAP." See!
Great post though, I totally thought the guy was dead too!

Deborah said...

Thank you everso much for your comments, they really have made me smile :o) x

Anonymous said...

Can't stop laughing! Oh, oh, my stomach...

Deborah said...

So glad it made you laugh Mandy, thanks for stopping by x :o)

Pam said...

OMG very funny, you wanted him to pose for a "dead shot".....this is my first time visiting and I have now saved it as a favorite!

Deborah said...

Oh thank you pam, so glad you stopped by x :o)

Rashmi said...

Oh! Deborah....You have described the scene so well that we could visualize as if we were with you.....

Deborah said...

I wish someone HAD have been with me Rashmi LOL x :o)

Anonymous said...

I would have been freaking out but when you think about it, that is a really cute story. You must have jumped a mile when he came back to life. LOL.

Deborah said...

I did! :o) Thanks for stopping by Selma x

tattytiara said...

Sheez, the guy should bring a pillow so people know what he's up to!

Deborah said...

Exactly! :O) Thanks for popping by tattytiara x

Lynette Killam said...

Ha...that had me laughing out loud, Deborah!! I would so have done exactly the same thing, though I startle so easily that my shrieking leap into the air would probably have given him a real heart attack...LOL.

I agree it might be bad form to ask him to pose dead for you, but it would have been hilarious to those of us with a warped sense of humour...:)

Deborah said...

I was tempted with the photo! :o)
Thanks for stopping by Lynette x

Tracy said...

Oh my gosh, Deborah...what a story! I don't know what I would have done but holler for someone but thankfully, wow, he was okay!
I think next week should be a photo though...

Deborah said...

I agree! :o) Thanks for stopping by Tracy x

Caleb said...

I love that you love old people. Aren't they just the cutest?

One of my favorite old ladies was drinking draft beer at the bar recently and dropped some change. She slowly and carefully reached down to pick it up, and it happened to be right at the feet of these 2 young guys.

She grabs the one guy's thigh for balance, he looks at her, and she says "don't worry, darlin'. I'm just trying to pick up my penny- not blow ya."

Awesome.

Deborah said...

LOL ... that's one cute old lady! Thanks for stopping by Caleb x :o)