Taking Grades for Teachers

The Octogenarian

and the

Solar Eclipse

     After a number of years in the classroom, one might begin to think that eclipses and other celestial phenomena occur for the benefit of K-12^th graders only.  Well, snap out of it!  They appeal to all age groups, in and out of the classroom.  I know this for a fact.

     My friend Joy Boone (Home Health CNAII with med license, wife, mother, rescuer of animals) has written, in the hilarious style that only she can pull off, the true account of an octogenarian's attempt to enjoy a recent solar display. Her story first appeared on her blog,  Life with Little Jo. She has agreed to let me repost it here.

   The incident happened back in May when one of her elderly neighbors heard on the news that a solar eclipse would be forthcoming later in the day.   Well, I’ll let Jo tale over. . .

The Eclipse

by Joy Boone

     We live in a rural area where entertainment is very hard to come by.

     There is an elderly couple who live near us.  Both of them are in their eighties. The wife has suffered a stroke and is in a wheelchair. The husband putters around outside in his welding shop.

     Several weeks ago, the husband heard on the noon news that there was going to be a total eclipse that day and he decided that was something he should see. So later that day as the eclipse started, he walked outside to watch. After a few minutes of trying to look at it with his naked eye, he figured out that wasn’t gonna happen so he went out to his welding shop and found his old welder’s hat and put it on.

     Back out in the yard he went to watch this total eclipse. After a few minutes of trying to hold his head back to watch, he realized the welder’s helmet was a bit heavy for him and it would be better if he could just lie down. So he laid down in the front yard and began watching the eclipse.

     His wife was inside the house and began to wonder just where he was. She rode around the house in her wheel chair looking for him and happened to glance out the window and see him lying in the front yard. She opened the front door and screamed at him and received no response. She screamed louder, still nothing.

     She pushed her panic button she wears around her neck. The life line lady came on the line and asked if she needed help. She was crying by now and was explaining that her 80+ yr old husband was laying in the front yard and she thought he was dead.

     Meanwhile out in the yard, the old man was enjoying the eclipse when he heard sirens coming up the road. He didn’t pay it much attention until they come sliding in his driveway and drove right up beside where he lay. The wife, still inside, could not see what was happening because of where they parked the EMS van.

     The husband sat up, looking bewildered at the drivers and said, "What you boys doing here"?

     One replied "your wife thinks you are dead." That really got him to laughing.

     They helped the old man back up and he went walking into the house where his wife was no longer crying but instead threatening to kill him if he ever faked being dead again.

     The EMS guys bent double laughing at them.

Posted 21st May by littlejo

     Now, THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT!