Pre and Post Theatre Events

Rebecca and I had a wonderful Saturday. We met Kelvin at Chapters before the opera began. He had been so cold in the show a couple of nights before, that she went into the bookstore and bought him a fleecy blanket. Never think that Chapters only sells books.

Judy Chicago
The Dinner Party

She also saw a lovely book on Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party, but she knew that she could find the same book in Victoria, and there is always the problem of overweight baggage now that the airlines are looking so closely at how many pounds suitcases carry.  She asked me if I wanted her to buy it for me for Christmas.  I asked her if she had seen me read for even five minutes while she has been here this week.

Yes, I want the book.

No.  I will not have time to read it.

We had brought  along a couple of blankets from home besides, so while she tucked him into his good opera seat,  I climbed the stairs iin the theatre to find my single seat. I have to find a seat at just the right height so that I can get a good view of the screen.   With trifocals a person has only a small think line of vision through multi-graded glasses.  That is what I needed to control.  They were worried about warmth.

And safety.

... walkers ...
in
The Producers

Kelvin doesn’t really like to get out of his wheelchair now, in the interests of not falling. A worthy concern.  I noticed that there was a line up of walkers on the same level as he was sitting. The image of that wonderful song in The Producers flashed through my mind. There is nothing like a long line up of walkers involved in a choreographed dance.

Kelvin will tell you that what was notable about the opera when it was finished were the old people hurrying to get their walking aids and to get down the ramp before the rush of theatre go-ers left. One woman lost her footing and fell to the ground. The usher had a panic attack and ran to call for an ambulance instead of staying to say, "buddy, buddy, are you OK". The woman, of course, wanted to get up, but she didn’t have the energy to do so. People of good-will around her offered to help her and were pulling on her arms. Rebecca was worried that this frail soul would have her arms fractured or her collar bone broken and so she was lifting her from behind. The theatre lights were on and beaming down on this corner of live theatre where so much was going on.

I thought to myself – this scenario is not one we practice in our minds that often. I know that I am due to take another St. John’s Ambulance First Aid Course for the work I do with Zoe. I think I will sign up for it with a renewed interest in those who have aged.

Arta