Today I got a chance to speak with a wonderful man. He lives in my neighbourhood and I have seen him many times and we have exchanged pleasantries in the past, but today as we approached each other, he was smiling and he stopped and we had a chat. I was with my sister and it started with the usual, “Oh what a lovely day” and how we should make the most of it because it won’t last etc.
Then he said he’s so happy as next month is his 90th birthday. My sister and I remarked he looked wonderful for his age and he said he feels great though he has a slightly weakened right side. Then he explained he had had a stroke 14 years ago but he now feels he has fully recovered apart from one small thing which he said he had to use a spoon to eat.
As the conversation continued we said that if he hadn’t said it (and I said I hope he doesn’t mind if I say this) we would never have guessed he’d had a stroke. Thomas just smiled at us and he said why should I mind? It was tough to start with and I wasn’t expected to recover (due to his age) whereas he had been told younger people with the same stroke were expected to recover. We said that it is wonderful he has fully recovered (his view) and he is totally independent again. He was on his way to the shops and he was on foot. He remarked how it was nice that we had taken time to speak with him as youngsters these days don’t have time for older people. He then invited himself round for tea telling us he takes two sugars
We said he is most welcome and he should drop by any time and in fact we shall hold him to that.
Strange how we have known him all this time and only today we got to know his history. We have been neighbours ever since we moved here as he has been living here for 60 years!!
I share this story only because here was a person who was happy to talk about his stroke, didn’t mind that we said he didn’t look like he’d had a stroke and everything about him was so very refreshing. Just a lovely person and it left both myself and my sister feeling privileged that Thomas chose to speak with us and share his story. And of course, he is another example of someone who has made a fully recovery from stroke (though he was not expected to) and he did it over a 14 year period and he celebrates 90 years and he said he has no regrets.
Can’t wait to chat more when he pops round for tea and biscuits (maybe I should bake some scones!)
What an uplifting story. I really hope he does pop around for that cuppa. I am sure he can share many more fascinating stories of his life too.
My mum, who lives on her own, always says that having just one conversation a day makes her day. I am sure Thomas felt the same after you taking the time to talk to him. In this day & age sadly we don’t get to know our neighbours as well as we could do.
Hope Thomas has a lovely 90th birthday & you do get to enjoy that cuppa (& maybe a slice of cake too) with him
I keep on saying, it’s scones not scones. It sounds like you have tapped into a mine of neighbourhood history then, he sounds like a delightful chap, not sure about the sugar tea thing but hey-ho, live and let live.
We also have our own nonagenarian on the forum, @Deigh who I think must be 94 this year.
Good guess but it’s 96 and continually amazed that I’m still around since I did so many things that should have killed me!
My biggest problem driving is sometimes my right foot goes to sleep and in an emergency I call on it to move to the brake and it replies “What ?” and there is a second delay before it obeys the order. This problem manifested itself when I was joggling for space in a car park and it’s slowness in obeying made the front bumper momentarily engage with another car and caused a bit of paint scraping.
Just read your info Deigh…I had my tonsils out in Haslar Hospital, Gosport back in the sixties…you will remember that eh??? (my dad was in Royal Marines, stationed at Eastney) I was back in Pompey just last month looking across to Gosport, right at Haslar from the Spinnaker Tower….its still there but attendant said he thought it was flats now….just thought I’d reminisce a wee bit eh x
Haslar Hospital is indeed mostly flats now. Many of the buildings have been changed to residential, making some lovely seafront living. Some of the buildings are commercial units too. There are some buildings to still convert. There’s a really nice coffee shop on the site too which sells delicious cakes
It’s very generous of you to share this story, Manjib! And good news is important for this forum isn’t it? Sending you lots of love from Suffolk and been thinking of you, your sister and your darling mum.
Is the Gosport Ferry still working? They were trying to build a tunnel when I was last there. Did a world trip just before retiring and visited relatives in the area, also bought some old reprint photos of the area pre war. I wonder if that barrowman who sold them to me is still operating?
Well. I’ll be darned! Thought by now they would have built more tunnels. Funny, still after many years absence I still have warm feelings for the place. When I lived there I couldn’t wait to get away from it. Hated the fact that everybody knew everybody else in the township.
I lived there when the countries first supermarket opened. They ran out of stock on the first day and had to close it till more stuff came in. Wartime rationing had just ended!
