I continue to volunteer as a scout leader and supporter, and know the value of the character scouting promotes. Recently, I had the opportunity to see some scouting spirit replayed unpredictably at a local senior center.
I facilitate a senior exercise class and met a vivacious 95-year-old woman I will call Dee. She is a safe and reliable driver who uses a rolling walker to maneuver the hallways of her senior center to attend many classes and activities.
During class, when Dee attempted to exercise, she reached for her rolling walker for support only to have it shift under the weight of her arm. She quickly sat down and did not continue.
I stopped teaching, said that I noticed, and asked, “does your roller have brakes?”
“Oh no,” she exclaimed. “Why,” I asked. “When I take my roller out of my trunk the brake always hits me in the shins, and I’ve decided I am not going to let that happen, so I told my husband to take those darn things off,” she exclaimed.
Behind her, I saw a few eye rolls, and scrunched mouths as other classmates disapproved. I knew I had to say something about this comment.
Then I looked at a classmate using a standard walker. “Linda, does your walker have brakes?” I asked. “No, this one doesn’t, I borrowed it” she answered, and then stated, “But my walker at home does have brakes.”
“So, you both have made choices today,” I continued. “You both made decisions to use walkers without brakes…and that is okay. But it also means that you have to stay alert, and careful. Dee, you chose to remove your brakes. Just now, you realized the exercise was not safe, so you sat down. That was a wise decision. Linda, you are using a borrowed walker with no brakes instead of bringing your own. Now you have to be careful using it.
“Dee, I wish you had not removed your brakes because I care about you, and I don’t want you to fall. But I am glad you are staying alert and making wise choices when you recognize danger. That is the whole point of this class. Being aware, being strong, being safe, and making good choices for your safety.”
My answer, although not in any book or curriculum, satisfied the class, got us back to the rest of the day’s lesson, and gave us all something to think about.
We all face dangers and have decisions to make. Sometimes our choices make sense to others, and sometimes they do not. Dee chose to protect her legs from injuries and preserve her freedom to drive to the senior center. She chose to use extra care maneuvering a rolling walker without brakes.
Too many seniors use walkers with bad runners or uneven legs, or borrowed walkers that may not be measured correctly to their height or are in disrepair, and many get injured along the way. I only hope we are supporting each other in learning strategies to stay safe whatever circumstances we face. I see the seniors in my class maneuvering sidewalks and parking lots in all sorts of weather and physical conditions while working to train their bodies to have greater strength to endure life’s challenges.
A while later, when we were trying another new exercise, I looked over and said, “Dee, is that a flashlight I see on your walker?” “Yes, it is.” She replied happily.
“She’s got everything there,” a friend piped in. “I see that she has some stuff hanging there, keys, a flashlight…” I added. “Oh, yes,” her friend replied, “She has everything anyone could ever need with her in that tote bag.”
I thought a moment, and then asked, “Dee, were you ever a scout leader?”
“You bet I was,” she exclaimed. “I was a scout leader for many years, and I have already purchased my tombstone,” she continued. “It reads ‘Be Prepared’. I hope people will walk by me some day,” she added, “and they’ll say, that lady was ready for everything!”
Dee is a great addition to our class. Her enthusiasm lifts us all, and her attitude and preparedness are too good not to share!
Barb Nadeau is the Mobility & Community Relations manager for Voluntary Action Center of Northern Illinois, representing five counties. Barb’s career includes many years as a professional television and radio host, as well as a print and social media journalist, and as a volunteer coordination professional, networking among non-profit social service agencies throughout Illinois. She is a freelance writer and an elected alderman in the City government of Plano. Contact Barb at bvnadeau@gmail.com.