DINING AT A SENIOR FACILITY
Among the myriad of features exhibited by humans, is its nature to be territorial. This propensity is manifested on many levels, even in the course of dining. Consider the facility that houses the aged where a family of people who judge themselves to be friendly, gracious, civil beings gather at mealtimes to dine together. One might guess that the main topic of discussion would be the menu. After the denizens are seated, servers take their orders and soon everyone is engaged in the fine art of ingesting food. The din of conversations mixed with laughter engulfs the ambience. All is well in paradise, until….
A new resident appears at the doorway, hoping to see some one she knows, or, if not that, maybe a gesture from a diner welcoming her come join them. When none of that happens, the new kid on the block gingerly enters the dining area looking for an empty seat where she hopes to meet some of the regulars. Finally, she spots a vacant chair and makes a move to occupy it. Instead of a welcome, she is accosted by a stringent cry that warns not to sit there because that space belongs to so and so.
The freshman resident had been clearly advised by the saleslady as well as by other members of the staff that “open seating” is the reigning policy of the institution. Actually, the policy is more like, “not in my neighborhood.” Each new resident undergoes something along the line of this experience when first entering the dining room. The level of sensitivity varies with each human, which is revealed in such cases as this. Some never recover from the very rude introduction afforded them when first entering the restaurant.
Eventually, most find a niche and settle in, where, overtime, come to regard a specific seat as “theirs.” And the show goes on and on. Then there are those who find a small table for two where they are able to sit by themselves to be free of the abuse they initially experienced. For those that are extremely territorial, if they arrive and find some one in “their” seat they either flip and make a scene or assault the occupant with a demand that they vacate the seat immediately, noting that they have been sitting there forever.
Occasionally, management will lecture the diners on the necessity of respecting the “open seating” policy, which once again falls on deaf ears and is met by frosty looks. Wars have been fought over territorial matters. The courts are often used to settle such disputes. But at a gathering of family members around the table, the pecking order reigns. Some well meaning sole suggested that the facility employ a maitre’ d of sorts to bring the diners to a suitable place. Getting management to hire an additional staff member is akin to asking the U.S. to return California to Mexico. Asking for budget changes is the biggest no-no, since it always involves taking something away from something else.
The long and short of it is to accept reality that man is basically a territorial animal!

LOSS OF RECOGNITION
When some one lacks the long-held skill to identify objects, but has excellent eyesight, what do we call it? At the same time, people who are blind, can identify objects with senses other than their eyes. These two contra indicators are explained by the condition of the brain, where our memory function is located.
Some one inflicted with Alzheimer’s, may not be able to identify the food on the plate, despite having good eyesight, yet a blind person can by smell, taste, touch or by communication.
Attending a social function such as a family gathering, the one with Alzheimer’s, who can see, may not be able to identify anyone at the party despite the fact that they are blood relatives. Whereas the blind attendee, has little trouble recognizing his or her friends and relatives. This is further proof that the brain is the key to this apparent enigma.
Blind people can work wonders: type from dictation, read (from Braille), handle the phone, carry on a coherent conversation, write, teach, dance, gives orders, participate in games, have and raise children and more. A famous athlete, Jim Plunkett, who was the star quarterback for the Stanford football team, as well as a great NFL player, was brought up by blind parents.
In a sense, the brain is the quarterback of our lives calling plays every mini second to guide us along the way. Not only does the blind have all the other senses that the sight-seers have, but their senses are developed at a higher level of acuity.
Picture a blind lady attending a Xmas party at the office where she works. Members of the staff bring in their kids, none of whom are known to her. In most cases, not one of those children will know that she’s blind. They will laugh and joke together.
In the movies they always play upon the blind person’s infirmities, depicting them with a red tipped cane, staring off into the vacancy of their future. Today, here in the U. S., the blind are protected by our safety net. No longer do you see the blind begging with a cup full of pencils. Their schools are funded along with scholarships for higher education.
We’re all blind to a certain extent. Even for those that can see, they’re emotions often cause them to refuse to see facts that face them. Our brain is taught by society to close its “eyes” to truth and justice, blinded by prejudice and ignorance. For those that regard the blind as handicapped, the next time you listen to the famous blind Italian singer, Andrea Bocelli, it’s comforting to know that he’s happily married with wonderful children and respected around the world.

LOSS OF RECOGNITION
When some one lacks the long-held skill to identify objects, but has excellent eyesight, what do we call it? At the same time, people who are blind, can identify objects with senses other than their eyes. These two contra indicators are explained by the condition of the brain, where our memory function is located.
Some one inflicted with Alzheimer’s, may not be able to identify the food on the plate, despite having good eyesight, yet a blind person can by smell, taste, touch or by communication.
Attending a social function such as a family gathering, the one with Alzheimer’s, who can see, may not be able to identify anyone at the party despite the fact that they are blood relatives. Whereas the blind attendee, has little trouble recognizing his or her friends and relatives. This is further proof that the brain is the key to this apparent enigma.
Blind people can work wonders: type from dictation, read (from Braille), handle the phone, carry on a coherent conversation, write, teach, dance, gives orders, participate in games, have and raise children and more. A famous athlete, Jim Plunkett, who was the star quarterback for the Stanford football team, as well as a great NFL player, was brought up by blind parents.
In a sense, the brain is the quarterback of our lives calling plays every mini second to guide us along the way. Not only does the blind have all the other senses that the sight-seers have, but their senses are developed at a higher level of acuity.
Picture a blind lady attending a Xmas party at the office where she works. Members of the staff bring in their kids, none of whom are known to her. In most cases, not one of those children will know that she’s blind. They will laugh and joke together.
In the movies they always play upon the blind person’s infirmities, depicting them with a red tipped cane, staring off into the vacancy of their future. Today, here in the U. S., the blind are protected by our safety net. No longer do you see the blind begging with a cup full of pencils. Their schools are funded along with scholarships for higher education.
We’re all blind to a certain extent. Even for those that can see, they’re emotions often cause them to refuse to see facts that face them. Our brain is taught by society to close its “eyes” to truth and justice, blinded by prejudice and ignorance. For those that regard the blind as handicapped, the next time you listen to the famous blind Italian singer, Andrea Bocelli, it’s comforting to know that he’s happily married with wonderful children and respected around the world.