To The Editor:
First off, I have no idea what this lady's name really was. I named her Ethel from the beginning and so she has remained ever since.
Many years ago, when I was a young alarm tech still learning, I was sent to a nursing home to check out the nurse call system. As it was during Christmas, there was a large tree in the common room and the furniture was crammed together. The nurse call console was a tabletop model that was sitting on a small table near the tree.
A nurse arrives escorting Ethel into the room. She sits her in a chair by the console. Between the tree and Ethel, I didn't have much space to maneuver. I kept bumping into poor Ethel as I was checking the console, but she said not to worry about it.
Soon Ethel falls asleep and I continued trying to fix something of which I had no idea how it worked. Around noon, the nurse brings in Ethel's lunch and says, "Ethel it's time for your lunch," and nudges her arm. After the second nudge, she yells, "Oh my god, somebody call the doctor." Well, I guess Ethel really didn't need a doctor so that was a waste of time.
At some point during Ethel's nap, she passed on to a better place.
Since then, around Christmas, I cannot help but to think of my short time with Ethel. It's been over 40 years and her memory lives on with me. I hope she knows that a stranger gives her a thought every Christmas as I think she'd appreciate it.
It took quite a few years for me to realize this, but she taught me a very valuable lesson as she did it right. When my time comes, I want to be just like Ethel and take a short nap before lunch and see what happens.
Steven Marshall
Waterbury Center
