One benefit of being ill, if it is possible to have such, was that I discovered the kindness of my new neighbors. Peter called this past Sunday to tell me that he had been in touch with my grandson Adam by E-mail, and to thank me once again for Adam’s and Steven’s E-mail addresses. I sounded so terrible on the telephone that he asked me if I was okay. I told him of my stomach virus in the shortest possible terms so that I could make one of my numerous trips to the bathroom. That afternoon, Peter’s mother called to make sure I was okay, and to tell me that she would stop by with a container of strained chicken broth. Thereafter one neighbor or another called morning, afternoon, and evening to make sure that I was okay. One of my geriatric and single peers explained during her call that there is a group of us here that regularly check in with one another lest someone should be extremely ill and need help. I said that I would like to join, and so I will be attending meetings once a month. I will be added to the telephone list, and I will be given a list of 3 to 5 names to call regularly during the next month. I understand the names change regularly so that we can become familiar with more of our neighbors. However, in order to avoid any sexual misunderstandings I will come out to these folks at my first meeting. I know it will make some of them uncomfortable, but that can’t be avoided. Such is life. We, all of us, myself included, need to be confronted by our prejudices, especially when we don’t recognize them as such.

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