This week I spent a lovely couple of days relaxing in the Lake District, taking time out from a very hectic schedule to reflect and consider what next. I stayed overnight at the luxurious Waterhead Hotel on the shores of Windermere, near Ambleside, Cumbria. I will be writing about that another time but I just wanted to share with you a brief snippet of conversation I overheard in the queue for the Lakes Ferry last Wednesday.
Elderly gent to his elderly lady companion: “Where’s my camera?” “I don’t know. Is it in your pocket?” “No, I’ve looked there. Where is it?” “Maybe we left it in the hotel room.” “No it’s not there. Where is it?” “I don’t know. Perhaps it’s … maybe it’s back home.” “Where’s the camera. I never go out without my camera?” “Oh, I don’t know – why can’t we remember things these days? We used to be able to remember things … We used to have a memory; now we don’t have one between us.”
Five minutes later the elderly gent asked his lady companion, “What day is it today?” “I don’t know. Just a minute – let me see …” She go out her mobile phone, peered at it and said, “It’s the 11th of November. Oh, it’s Remembrance Day. It’s 11.30 on the 11th of November.” “I said, ‘What day is it?’” “I told you dear, it’s the 11thof November. Remembrance Day.” “NO – what DAY is it. I mean, what DAY is it?” “I’ve TOLD you, it’s the 11th of November …” “NO… what DAY…? “Oh, what DAY? Oh …” She looked at her mobile again. “Oh, I don’t know … What day IS it? …”
I whispered “Wednesday” to her and she told her husband. “Thank you dear. So silly, but I am 88 and he’s 91 and we can’t remember much these days. But we’ve been coming here since 1946 and we do know we love it here… So many happy memories.”
And I pondered on the companionship these two have shared as their collective memories gradually fade away … What happy memory might you share today?
