Meet the Queen of Lefties
Over the weekend I met a 103-year-old woman. I sat with her at an event while her son went to bring the car around for her wheelchair. Despite her physical weakness, she is mentally sharp and can talk up a storm.
While we waited for her son, she said, “I’m always left waiting. I should be called ‘Lefty.’” That gave me a chuckle, of course. It turns out that she is also left-handed. She was born in England, and when she was 3 (1907!), she attended school for the first time. The teacher would tie Old Lady Lefty’s left hand behind her back so she was forced to use her right hand. Old Lady Lefty (OLL) said she made such a fuss about it that the teacher finally gave up.
Later, the family moved to the United States. The only way for OLL to attend high school was on scholarship. Some organization gave her $8 per week to go to high school.
Now, she’s stuck in her wheelchair waiting for other people to take her places. I wonder what life would be like for me at 103.
While we waited for her son, she said, “I’m always left waiting. I should be called ‘Lefty.’” That gave me a chuckle, of course. It turns out that she is also left-handed. She was born in England, and when she was 3 (1907!), she attended school for the first time. The teacher would tie Old Lady Lefty’s left hand behind her back so she was forced to use her right hand. Old Lady Lefty (OLL) said she made such a fuss about it that the teacher finally gave up.
Later, the family moved to the United States. The only way for OLL to attend high school was on scholarship. Some organization gave her $8 per week to go to high school.
Now, she’s stuck in her wheelchair waiting for other people to take her places. I wonder what life would be like for me at 103.
Labels: life, old people, wheelchairs
posted by Lefty at 4:12 PM
5 Comments:
Wow - same age as my dad (were he alive). Sounds like a great little meeting of the Leftys. Hoorah for her royal leftiness and her feisty nature. I guess this makes you the Prince of the Leftys.
Wow. That sounds like a truly amazing interaction! Life stories like that are so spectacular!
I wonder as well.
I love old people. Especially when they seem to forget they're old.
I wanna be like that.
I've always said if I make it to 80, somebody needs to take me out in a field and shoot me.
I have this horrible fear of being old and infirm and dependent - and smart enough mentally to be aware of just how big a pain in the ass I am and how much everyone hates having to haul me around.
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