Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Observations at Panera

I had lunch at Panera this afternoon, as I do about once a week.
I sat next to a table where a "little old lady" was sitting with a slightly heavyset older man.  
He had a tee shirt on that said something about rehab.
I had been up at the coffee bar waiting for this little lady to get done putting her cream in her coffee.  Everything was in slow motion.  She was only about 5 foot tall and all bent over.
She walked slowly to her seat and the server brought their food.  She said something to the man about how nice the bread looked.  I didn't hear him respond.  They sat there and ate with not a word uttered between them the entire time.
That's what amazed me.
I'd steal glances over at them.
Her posture was all bent over when sitting also, with a Dowagers Hump, a sign of sever osteoporosis.
She concentrated on her food and finished everything.
I was surprised when he evidently told her he wanted a refill on his drink.
I had thought all this time that he was taking care of her.
She slowly got up and went to the counter and got him a refill.
When they were done eating, she gathered her things and took them to the clean-up area.  He then pushed his tray to her so she would clean his place up too.
I was just really surprised.
Not at all the way I thought it would be.
She shuffled so slowly but got it done.
However when they were ready to leave, he turned and pulled out a walker that had been out of sight on the other side between a couple chairs.
He opened it up, stood with some difficulty and using it, he shuffled out the door.  As she was getting up, she caught my eye and sort of shrugged.

I would've loved to sit and talk with her awhile but of course that wasn't possible and I would've never intruded.  She might have liked to have someone to talk too.

Strange and sometimes sad how life is.

Shirley


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