Nice People Thread No. 15, a Cyber Summer

SingleSue

I don't think they knew what to do to be honest. Dad had a funny turn during the day and didn't seem to know where he was or what he was doing and mum had a nasty fall, it all just really shook them up.

Not a good day really for them at all, I've not long got back from their house as I had to pick them up from the coach stop and although they tried to enjoy the day, they didn't.

zagubov

This is a time of year when I sometimes wonder if we should all have a kind of a retreat or radio silence where bad news should be withheld/delayed.

There always seems to to be a preponderance of catastrophes and deaths. I'm sure it's a mirage or a misconception, and these things don't really cluster around now, but I've had this feeling at this time of year many times in recent years.

Am I the only NP to feel this?

GDB2222

zagubov wrote: »

This is a time of year when I sometimes wonder if we should all have a kind of a retreat or radio silence where bad news should be withheld/delayed.

There always seems to to be a preponderance of catastrophes and deaths. I'm sure it's a mirage or a misconception, and these things don't really cluster around now, but I've had this feeling at this time of year many times in recent years.

Am I the only NP to feel this?

There's a lot to be said for not carrying a mobile phone. Or at least not taking inbound calls on it. Why should we be available all of the time to other people?

And it works the other way, too. Bad news can often wait, but people feel it's necessary to make strenuous efforts to get hold of us. I suppose it's better than finding out on Facebook, though.

bugslet

zagubov wrote: »

This is a time of year when I sometimes wonder if we should all have a kind of a retreat or radio silence where bad news should be withheld/delayed.

There always seems to to be a preponderance of catastrophes and deaths. I'm sure it's a mirage or a misconception, and these things don't really cluster around now, but I've had this feeling at this time of year many times in recent years.

Am I the only NP to feel this?

Sorry to hear that Sue, not the best place to receive such news.:(

No, people really do seem to fall ill and die more this time of year. In the office of two of us, this week marks the anniversary of Mr Bugs death and my colleagues father last year.

I went away for a few days earlier this year and he had an oesophagectamy (sp) three weeks ago, had a fourth op last week where they took his entire oesophagus out and his stomach now pokes out into bags by his neck and stomach. It'll be 6-12 months before he can eat or drink anything.

My other friend that came with us on the same holiday, one of her drivers wife is in a coma with a septaceamia (sp), unaware that today they are amputating both her feet to prevent the spread of the infection.

I don't know of anyone who has had any other operations this year, so for me, it certainly is clustering around December.

It certainly makes you count your many blessings of a reasonable health and no serious worries if that is the case.

Pyxis

GDB2222 wrote: »

There's a lot to be said for not carrying a mobile phone. Or at least not taking inbound calls on it. Why should we be available all of the time to other people?

And it works the other way, too. Bad news can often wait, but people feel it's necessary to make strenuous efforts to get hold of us. I suppose it's better than finding out on Facebook, though.

That reminds me of the time when I had visitors staying the weekend. It was the days before internet. My TV went on the blink, as someone had dripped water into it. Because of the visitors, I didn't bother with the radio, either in the house or the car. We went out, for walks, to a pub, to a restaurant. Nothing unusual or untoward, although there didn't seem to be quite as much jollity about.

Then I had to drive to the Smoke to do a job, leaving the visitors in the house overnight. I had the car radio on and heard some weird things on the news. Something's happened, I thought. It wasn't until I got to my job that I discovered that TWO DAYS earlier, Princess Diana had been killed in a car crash.

And we had been totally oblivious.

SingleSue

In fairness to my uncle's wife, she had no idea that my parents were on a very rare day out. She actually didn't want to say anything once she knew but my mum had already guessed it was bad news (it was a fairly early in the morning phone call). He had been ill for quite some time with cancer and I knew (and I think mum had an idea) that it wouldn't be long before we got the dreaded news.

GDB2222

SingleSue wrote: »

In fairness to my uncle's wife, she had no idea that my parents were on a very rare day out. She actually didn't want to say anything once she knew but my mum had already guessed it was bad news (it was a fairly early in the morning phone call). He had been ill for quite some time with cancer and I knew (and I think mum had an idea) that it wouldn't be long before we got the dreaded news.

I hate early in the morning or late at night phone calls. The very best it can be is a wrong number.

SingleSue

Mum has become very good at giving me a fright late at night by calling (they are late to bedders like me)...usually because she has remembered something as she is going to bed and just has to ring me. This is a fairly recent thing, in the last 6 months or so, before that, she would never ring after 10pm.

It always gives me a fright, always makes me think it is going to be something eek and has me imagining all sorts of bad news as I answer the call only to find out she has been watching something and wants me to look it up or asking some kind of other mundane thing. She says it is because she knows I will be up and can be her instant google and save her the trouble.

Parents eh? :rotfl:

silvercar

Very topical. We are away overnight celebrating pearl wedding anniversary. Sibling is abroad on holiday. Parent isn't answering phone. Can't travel 150 miles just to see what's up. Most likely out for the day with friends, but unusual to forget Anniversary. Could be in a strop for whatever reason and just not answering phone. It's a worry.

PasturesNew

silvercar wrote: »

.... answering phone....

Mine NEVER went out, anywhere... so they'd ALWAYS be in before it was dark. One day when I was trying their phone over and over again and getting no answer ... and it got dark .... then really dark .....

I called the police. Police got there just as parents were sauntering up to their front door .... they'd been caught out by the shorter evenings/cloud cover ... and had been about 20 miles away "shopping/browsing" and just got back.

If yours were near to me I'd offer to go and press my nose against their window; I know, however, that nobody's people are near me.