the good humor man (pineapple man, part 5)

Tuesday, November 3

I'd be omitting a part of this journey if I didn't write about the one-liners and humor that came from Dad every single day I was with him.

Whenever I travel, I like to wander, get my bearings and see what's what. This is what I did with Dad on his first day at Richland. I asked an aide to help get him in a wheelchair and off we went.

There wasn't a lot to see, but I stretched it all I could. Down each hallway. Reading bulletin boards and noticing the posted activities for the residents. Making conversation with staff. Then, outside into the gorgeous Tennessee autumn afternoon. Around sidewalks, across parking lots, beside a fountain, and finally a few minutes at a bench where dad's roommate was having a visit from his dog.

I think Dad thought it funny that dogs would pay a visit to a nursing home, but he kept it to himself.

Back in his room, Dad glanced at a paper taped on his wall. "Is that a tombstone? Because if it is, I want to change beds!" he said. How could a mind experiencing hallucinations and extreme mood swings also maintain a sense of humor? Or were his comments just Dad being Dad? He's always had a quick, dry wit.

I thought I needed to prepare Dad for my departure two days later. "I'm going to miss you when I go home," I said, tearing up again.

"You miss a headache when it's gone, too," he replied dryly.

Dad had dinner in his bed. I hoped he'd be up to getting to the dining room soon, but for now it was the two of us in his room. He had a hamburger, which I'd ordered as part of the paperwork the night before.

As usual, Dad's nose gave him trouble as he ate, and soon he let out a massive sneeze, hamburger and all. He was a bit embarrassed, but to divert attention he said, "it's like the wreck of the Hesperus!" And he proceeded to tell me about the Hesperus, a cargo ship that blew up in the ocean decades ago. Oh, dad. Funny dad. (Side note: I googled 'Hesperus.' It was indeed a ship, but possibly only in the mind of Longfellow.)http://www.blupete.com/Literature/Poetry/Wreck.htm

The next day we lunched together in the main dining room. The barbecue chicken was delicious and I finished first. Looking at my plate, Dad said, "your plate looks like a scene from Wild Kingdom!"

From there we had a discussion on humor. "How do you come up with so many quick little jokes?" I asked him.

"I always tie my joke to something familiar so the hearer can connect with it. And it makes people pay attention, at least, those who get humor." He told me this intelligently, as he always has.

I love humor and people who "get" it. At that moment I realized I must have received a humor gene from Dad.

I haven't spent a lot of time with my dad in recent years. Now, I wished it was more. I so wanted to talk more, hear his jokes, and witness the pineapple juice sweetening his spirit.

With a heavy heart I'd driven to Nashville six days ago, and with a heavy heart I'd drive back home.