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Happy birthday Besse Cooper! This Georgia woman is the oldest person in the world, celebrating her 116th birthday yesterday. Her secret to longevity-- "minding my own business and not eating junk food". 
/Blog #4 9/15/12
Sandiego O'Connor
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Sunday, September 9, 2012
My Friend Debbie shared this one with me......Blog #3
A sweet lesson on patience.
A NYC Taxi driver wrote:
I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.
There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard
box filled with photos and glassware.
'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.
She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'
'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive
through downtown?'
'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..
'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.
I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice..'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.
We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired.Let's go now'.
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.
'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.
'Nothing,' I said
'You have to make a living,' she answered.
'There are other passengers,' I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.She held onto me tightly.
'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'
I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut.It was the sound of the closing of a life..
I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day,I could hardly talk.What if that woman had gotten an angry driver,or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.
We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.
But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one!
Blog #3
9/9/12
A sweet lesson on patience.
A NYC Taxi driver wrote:
I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.
There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard
box filled with photos and glassware.
'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.
She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'
'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive
through downtown?'
'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..
'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.
I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice..'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.
We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired.Let's go now'.
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.
'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.
'Nothing,' I said
'You have to make a living,' she answered.
'There are other passengers,' I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.She held onto me tightly.
'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'
I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut.It was the sound of the closing of a life..
I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day,I could hardly talk.What if that woman had gotten an angry driver,or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.
We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.
But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one!
Blog #3
Saturday, September 8, 2012
9/8/12
Today....I met a man I'll call him RT...born September 1, 1924, tall and proud, 88 years old....He lost his wife last August...they had been married for some 65 years when she passed. They knew each other only 2 months...and decided they were the ones for each other and tied the knot before he was shipped out. He was a Marine....she was in love and.she sent him off to war with kisses that would last forever...In those days forever may only be a few days months or years....
Now he sits in my booth...and there is some opening chit-chat....he tells me how he lost his wife a year ago this last August....distressed and shaking his head, tears filled his eyes....he is clearly lost and lonely without her.....
The Appointment...
I conduct the hearing test....not much has changed since his last evaluation but it is definately time for a new set of hearing aids. His old ones are over 6 years old and not working very well. As I decide which hearing aids I will fit him with, he tells me he was a marine and he met his wife right before heading to war. As I'm measuring and calculating his hearing loss, he begins to tell me a story about the war that he proudly served in, World War 11 . I have a new understanding of why the men of his generation come to me and ask if our hearing aids are made in the U.S.
This is his story....
His father a marine himself in the 1st World War drove him to the bus that would carry him far away to begin his life as an american soldier. This is the advice his father gave him... "Keep your eyes and ears open, keep your head down and don't make any friends" All this advice given to him by his father would be clearly understood when he got onto the battlefield. It was the middle of the night and boats filled with young american soldiers most of which were between the ages of 17 and 23 headed to an Island. Their mission was to take over this Island and kill the Japanese. There were 12,000 american men on those boats. As they approached the island they jumped into the water and waded to the island. They crawled on their bellies thought the sand, explosions and gunfire were everywhere. This is war, men were being killed all around him in an instant. He was in charge of 40 men and one medic would be assigned to those 40 men. His only thought was to kill as many Japs as he could and get himself and his men out alive. He tells me he had never felt fear like he felt that night. He had flares in in pack, he would throw them up into the air and light up the sky and suddenly they could see the Japs and it was easier to get some good shots off. The gunfire had its own illumination and could be seen all around him. He was on the move and one of his men was hit, it was so close that it could have just as easily been him. The wounded soldier was laying face down and RT didn't know if he was dead or alive. He rolled the soldier over, he was alive but he had been gut shot as RT put it. Everything that should have been inside his stomach was laying outside his stomach. In his training RT had been instructed on what to do in this sitiuation, so he went to work. No medic in site, he scooped up what was left of he soldiers insides and tucked them back into his body, dirt and all. He poured water onto the organs and wrapped him up in a large gauze bandage, all this being done while gunfire is going on all around him. The soldier at this point is still alive and able to communicate with his Sargent. RT gives him his canteen and tells him to keep pouring water onto his wound, knowing that the young soldier did not have a chance for survival. Keep your wound wet he tells the soldier again, if you dry out you're a gonner for sure. He looks at the soldier who's eyes are filled with terror and he leaves and runs for cover. It took 72 hours for the American Soldiers to take over that island. The cost of that mission, 5000 American Soldiers dead, RT called it a butcher shop.... 72 hours and 5000 dead, its hard to take in. This is the cost of Freedom. This is one mans story.
Six months later.... RT still fighting in the war receives a letter. The letter reads,
Dear Sargent,
I wanted to say thank you for all the swell training you gave me when I was under your command.
I served with you on the island and you taught me what it means to be an American and how important it is to guard and protect our Country. I am on leave from injuries sustained on that mission but am doing well and have hopes for a full recovery. You see I was the soldier that you put back together and left laying in the sand on that island. A medic found me and I was taken to a hospital. They didn't think I would make it, but I knew I would. I think seeing your bravery helped me to be brave too. So thank you and God Bless America
Sincerly,
PFC Dugard
Blog #2 Sandiego O'Connor
Today....I met a man I'll call him RT...born September 1, 1924, tall and proud, 88 years old....He lost his wife last August...they had been married for some 65 years when she passed. They knew each other only 2 months...and decided they were the ones for each other and tied the knot before he was shipped out. He was a Marine....she was in love and.she sent him off to war with kisses that would last forever...In those days forever may only be a few days months or years....
Now he sits in my booth...and there is some opening chit-chat....he tells me how he lost his wife a year ago this last August....distressed and shaking his head, tears filled his eyes....he is clearly lost and lonely without her.....
The Appointment...
I conduct the hearing test....not much has changed since his last evaluation but it is definately time for a new set of hearing aids. His old ones are over 6 years old and not working very well. As I decide which hearing aids I will fit him with, he tells me he was a marine and he met his wife right before heading to war. As I'm measuring and calculating his hearing loss, he begins to tell me a story about the war that he proudly served in, World War 11 . I have a new understanding of why the men of his generation come to me and ask if our hearing aids are made in the U.S.
This is his story....
His father a marine himself in the 1st World War drove him to the bus that would carry him far away to begin his life as an american soldier. This is the advice his father gave him... "Keep your eyes and ears open, keep your head down and don't make any friends" All this advice given to him by his father would be clearly understood when he got onto the battlefield. It was the middle of the night and boats filled with young american soldiers most of which were between the ages of 17 and 23 headed to an Island. Their mission was to take over this Island and kill the Japanese. There were 12,000 american men on those boats. As they approached the island they jumped into the water and waded to the island. They crawled on their bellies thought the sand, explosions and gunfire were everywhere. This is war, men were being killed all around him in an instant. He was in charge of 40 men and one medic would be assigned to those 40 men. His only thought was to kill as many Japs as he could and get himself and his men out alive. He tells me he had never felt fear like he felt that night. He had flares in in pack, he would throw them up into the air and light up the sky and suddenly they could see the Japs and it was easier to get some good shots off. The gunfire had its own illumination and could be seen all around him. He was on the move and one of his men was hit, it was so close that it could have just as easily been him. The wounded soldier was laying face down and RT didn't know if he was dead or alive. He rolled the soldier over, he was alive but he had been gut shot as RT put it. Everything that should have been inside his stomach was laying outside his stomach. In his training RT had been instructed on what to do in this sitiuation, so he went to work. No medic in site, he scooped up what was left of he soldiers insides and tucked them back into his body, dirt and all. He poured water onto the organs and wrapped him up in a large gauze bandage, all this being done while gunfire is going on all around him. The soldier at this point is still alive and able to communicate with his Sargent. RT gives him his canteen and tells him to keep pouring water onto his wound, knowing that the young soldier did not have a chance for survival. Keep your wound wet he tells the soldier again, if you dry out you're a gonner for sure. He looks at the soldier who's eyes are filled with terror and he leaves and runs for cover. It took 72 hours for the American Soldiers to take over that island. The cost of that mission, 5000 American Soldiers dead, RT called it a butcher shop.... 72 hours and 5000 dead, its hard to take in. This is the cost of Freedom. This is one mans story.
Six months later.... RT still fighting in the war receives a letter. The letter reads,
Dear Sargent,
I wanted to say thank you for all the swell training you gave me when I was under your command.
I served with you on the island and you taught me what it means to be an American and how important it is to guard and protect our Country. I am on leave from injuries sustained on that mission but am doing well and have hopes for a full recovery. You see I was the soldier that you put back together and left laying in the sand on that island. A medic found me and I was taken to a hospital. They didn't think I would make it, but I knew I would. I think seeing your bravery helped me to be brave too. So thank you and God Bless America
Sincerly,
PFC Dugard
Blog #2 Sandiego O'Connor
Thursday, August 23, 2012
To my blog followers.....
As some of you arlready know I have been doing hearing evaluations and dispensing hearing aids to those I call my,"Old Souls" for the past 5 or so years now.....The stories that will follow in my blog are stories of love, pain, sorrow, joy, laughter and a multitude of others stories of emotion....I am blessed to work with these old souls everyday and hope that you enjoy them as much I do.....It is a lesson learned each day.....Sandiego
My first blog....
The Cowboy
I'll call him the Cowboy..87 years old....a handsome strapping tall man, I would say he is about
6'5 inches tall with a worn cowboy hat and blue jeans, a faded outline on his back pocket from the can of chew that has been stored there for years...He wore cowboy boots that looked like he just came out of a muddy pasture. When I look at him I see the deep wrinkles of wisdom, and think to myself...this man must have been a looker back in his day, as a matter of fact he still has such striking features.....it makes me think he was probably a heartbreaker in his day....I came out of my booth to invite him in so we could address some of his hearing issues and he was staring at a woman that was standing a little ways away...she was about the same age as him, also nice looking and well kept. Cowboy looked back at me and said, "See that little lady over there....she can cook up some mean grub.....and then he looked back at her again....and then looked back at me and said, "And that aint all she can do"as he gave me a wink!.....Wow!....Sounds like he is still making the magic happen.....You gotta love an Old Soul.....
08/23/2012
As some of you arlready know I have been doing hearing evaluations and dispensing hearing aids to those I call my,"Old Souls" for the past 5 or so years now.....The stories that will follow in my blog are stories of love, pain, sorrow, joy, laughter and a multitude of others stories of emotion....I am blessed to work with these old souls everyday and hope that you enjoy them as much I do.....It is a lesson learned each day.....Sandiego
My first blog....
The Cowboy
I'll call him the Cowboy..87 years old....a handsome strapping tall man, I would say he is about
6'5 inches tall with a worn cowboy hat and blue jeans, a faded outline on his back pocket from the can of chew that has been stored there for years...He wore cowboy boots that looked like he just came out of a muddy pasture. When I look at him I see the deep wrinkles of wisdom, and think to myself...this man must have been a looker back in his day, as a matter of fact he still has such striking features.....it makes me think he was probably a heartbreaker in his day....I came out of my booth to invite him in so we could address some of his hearing issues and he was staring at a woman that was standing a little ways away...she was about the same age as him, also nice looking and well kept. Cowboy looked back at me and said, "See that little lady over there....she can cook up some mean grub.....and then he looked back at her again....and then looked back at me and said, "And that aint all she can do"as he gave me a wink!.....Wow!....Sounds like he is still making the magic happen.....You gotta love an Old Soul.....
08/23/2012
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