Mansi, Week 15: To be a listener
Reminiscing in one’s memories is one thing, but to indulge in the memories of others is a pleasure of its own. The Wednesday over spring break I got the opportunity to help out around the Masonic Home taking vital signs for senior patients before they were seen by the doctor. As each patient and I waited for the doctor to finish up with the last, the stories that were told and the memories recounted in those 10 minutes became priceless. There was one man who talked about his comforting farm back in Iowa, reminiscing on how his father didn’t let him name any of the animals (because they could possibly end up on his plate the next morning). There was the navy veteran who reminisced about all the mouthwatering pies that got freshly baked all the time while he was in service, because out at sea the navy ships had their own chefs making delectable meals daily. There was the patient who marveled over the cafeteria sorbet, designating it as the healthiest yet tastiest dessert on the menu (though she revealed that she indulged herself in the ice cream every so often too). There was the squabbling old couple who came together on matching electric wheelchairs, the wife nagging her husband for putting his wheelchair on too high of a speed and zooming it around everywhere like it was a car. There was the daughter who came to help her mother out during her appointment pointing to the elegant paintings adorning the walls, revealing the astounding fact that her friend had actually painted them all. Each and every patient all shared the same home, yet their stories couldn’t be any more different from each other. Within the 4 hours I was there, I heard stories spanning entire lifetimes—and the memories of these conversations have become my own to reminisce in later.
Hi Mansi! I love that you chose to share such an awesome experience with us and I am glad you had fun. I completely agree with you on the fact that listening to the stories of other people is one of the most enjoyable acts. It’s so fun and helps you form a bond with them.
ReplyDeleteLast year I used to volunteering in Fremont’s homeless shelter and I shared a similar experience to you. Every Sunday I would visit and make them pancakes and waffles and I had the chance to talk to them. They loved sharing their diverse paths and journeys and every weekend I would learn something new about their experiences and tips for the future. Rather than focusing on what they didn't have they helped me to realize, through their stories, that they have so much more knowledge to share!
I also liked that you chose to narrate some of of the stories they told you as it helps to personalize their characters and depicts the connections you made along the way.
Thank you for this connective blog!
Hi Mansi! I really loved getting the chance to have a glimpse of your experience at the Masonic House. Similar to my opinion on our little journal on storytelling, I think that without communicating and sharing stories (and secrets!) we wouldn't be able to form bonds with anyone. It's only once we start telling each other about our experiences that we become willing to be friends and to get to know each other more deeply. I think service work also definitely facilitates such bonds. I regularly work at public libraries across the bay and at a couple elementary schools after school and I get to meet so many children. I honestly find listening to their stories to be so refreshing. They always have such unique takes on the world, and it's so nice to hear silly little anecdotes about legos and "homework" because it reminds me of how important it is to consider that everyone is always facing a challenge of sorts. To kindergarteners, their coloring sheets and impossible lego kits are the biggest worries in their world, to us, it's our never-ending piles of homework and our APs, to adults, its taxes and fees and so many unimaginable troubles. Stories are how we continue to live, learn, and grow, and I hope that we never stop storytelling.
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