Spot of T: What’s your story?
I’m a people-watcher. Given the opportunity, I love to sit and watch people go by and wonder about their stories. Where are they going? Where did they come from? What kind of people are they? What’s their story?
Sometimes, based on the expression on their faces, I can create an amusing and detailed fictitious stor y. I’m quite sure I’m wrong an overwhelming number of times! But first impressions can be fun to run with and make for an interesting way to pass the time.
If you’ve ever sat in a waiting room or airport, you’ve likely done a little of this yourself. Certainly, there is no harm in creating amusing stories of strangers based on appearances.
But bear in mind, looks can be deceiving. When I first started working at Brittany Pointe, I knew nothing about the generation who I’d be teaching. I had never worked in that kind of environment, and quite honestly, it was a bit daunting.
I met countless people those first few days and I encountered many new faces, some stern-looking, others of a more jov ial countenance. I can remember my first day teaching an exercise class to a group of about 40 seniors. … There I was facing a group of serious-looking strangers and fearing the worst.
What I didn’t realize was while I was nervously assessing them, they too were nervously assessing me. I’m quite sure they were
wondering about my story! Who was this whippersnapper who was hired to teach them?
In very short order, I learned that judging a book by its cover is a huge mistake. As time went on and I got to know the residents, it was an incredible eye-opening experience.
That “little old lady” was an aide to one of the highest-ranking officers in WWII and had top-secret clearance. And that “little old man” worked on the Eniac (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), the first programmable computer in the late 1940’s.
That quiet and shy lady who always sat off to the side in exercise class? She
taught male pilots to fly during WWII. At that time, women could not actually f ly themselves, but she certainly made her mark teaching the men. Hers is one of my favorite stories — one day she and a female friend decided they would “borrow” a plane and go for a joy ride. Yes, they got in trouble, but boy, did they have fun, according to her.
After the war, she taught mathematics at a local university. But to look at her? Never in a million years would I have guessed it.
See that quiet and humble old man over there? He was a pediatrician, in the days when they made house calls. He never turned down a patient. During both
WWII and the Korean War, he volunteered and ended up on ships in the Pacific.
He performed emergency appendectomies and other surgeries in the passageways of the ships because they were the least turbulent areas in high seas! Remember, he was a pediatrician!
What about that lady with the great laugh and fun demeanor? She was a nurse and tended to many of the wounded during the war. I would not have guessed that if I had relied on my first impressions. She seemed the belle of the ball, fun loving and not at all serious. Yet she saved countless lives.
Some of the sternestlooking people that I have met have turned out to be the nicest and most generous of people, with amazing st or ies. Looks can most definitely be deceiving.
There are literally hundreds of stories like this. If you saw me in a waiting room or passed me on the street, I wonder what story you might assign me? Who do you think I am? Because I promise you, I’m way more than that.
And so are you. Each of us is an amazing person with our own incredible story to tell. So, by all means, enjoy those first amusing impressions, but always strive to look deeper. The reality is always so much better than the fiction. So, what’s your story?
Brittany Pointe Estates is a gracious Lansdale retirement community that reflects the charm of the region of France for which it is named. Situated in northern Montgomery County, residents of Brittany Pointe Estates senior living community enjoy an abundance of shopping opportunities, cultural offerings, theaters, gourmet restaurants, and beautiful parks that are nearby.
Many of the nation’s top hospitals and health care providers are less than an hour away in Center City Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. It is located at 1001 S. Valley Forge Road, Lansdale, PA 19446 and you can call 267-657-3106 for information.