Leaving Sheila
Sheila had dementia. Bob was her husband, and I was their social-worker, so when the phone rang and Bob said, “I was tucking Sheila into bed last night and she asked […]
Tag Archives: social work
These Days Will Come
It takes nine quarters to do a load of her laundry, the older woman whom I have helped every week for a year-and-a-half. Today, I’m worried that I might have to […]
The Tent, the Pit-Bull and a Brown Mini-Van
Pacific Northwest, WA — I picked up the phone on a Wednesday morning, finished my coffee and hoped for a walk-in-the-park day. It was my job to answer the phone […]
Road Trip South: Mishap in Chattahoochee
Chattahoochee, FL to Orange Beach, AL — After spending the night in Chattahoochee, Lucy and I departed for Orange Beach, AL, but not before trying to find a post office […]
Road Trip South: The Travel Spoon
St. Marys, GA to Chattahoochee, FL — Along the way to Chattahoochee, Lucy and I caught up on our past year in grad school. She’s studying youth; I prefer older […]
The Beginning of a Road Trip South, Deep South
Charleston, SC to St. Marys, GA – Bailey, the young woman at the hostel, told me that there really weren’t a lot of restaurants serving local food in Charleston. There […]
The Would You Rather? Game
Sewanee, TN – I play a game with the 12-year old whom I tutor called, Would you rather? We ask each other things like: Would you rather discover that the […]
So Now You Know Where I’m At
Beersheba Springs, TN – “Marathon. Marathon is the Greek word for fennel. In Latin, it’s foeniculum. In Spanish, it’s hinojo with a silent ‘h’. That one doesn’t follow like the […]
Order in the Court
Altamont, TN – If I was to learn rural Tennessee, I had to understand the people. My cousin, who sometimes mediates in the courts, offered to let me shadow him for […]
Sex, Drugs & Rocking Chairs
Denver, CO — What do you say when a 90-year old woman tells you she will give you her bras? They just don’t fit any more. When you get old, your […]
