It has been an interesting week!  My sister, and I, just took a car FULL of stuff to my son.  (That is a whole different story - maybe next time.) This drive meant we were traveling for two days each way.  We have discovered we don't "do" 14 hour drives very well anymore!!  It also reminded of the times Dad and I traveled - a couple of times for a visit with my son.

​Traveling, with Dad, caused a few interesting difficulties.  For a while he could help with the driving but, toward the end, he was the navigator because he usually knew where we were going.  The real issues were working with the cane (or walker) and restroom doors.  They can be heavy but add in at least a cane and Dad couldn't always  open them.  Then I would be opening the door for him, wait at the door until he came back and "knocked" at which point I would open the door again.  IF we were lucky enough for a "family" restroom it was a LOT easier.  There were also a couple of times when I wanted to stop one of the gentlemen going in and ask for them to see if a "white haired gentleman" had fallen.

An interesting side note....  I was primary care giver for our Dad (different restrooms) but I have also spoken with Caregivers traveling with the "same sex" parent - daughters with mothers, sons with fathers - and many of the same difficulties arise. So many interesting traveling stories..... almost all of which include laughing before you start screaming (or crying!)!!

The memories, as I have been visiting with people, of the difficulty of hearing - let alone listening to what others are saying - have gotten stronger.  We all had some wonderful memories of people talking when you weren't even in the room, or were walking away, but "they" thought you still heard them.  Then there are the times you hear someone talking but not what they are saying.  AND the times when we are all speaking English but with totally different definitions (or ideas) of what we are talking about -- like batting (quilting) vs. batting (baseball).

It also reminded me of all the times Dad would be reading......  He probably learned how to do it when we are a LOT younger (growing up) because of how many kids could be running around at any given time period.  I can tell you he would be so concentrated on his book (later years kindle) you could be jumping up and down in front of him and he wouldn't notice.  He wouldn't hear you or pay ANY attention to you until you got his attention.  Good luck with that!

Like I say.... he probably learned it when he had to be studying but had kids running around him, babies crying, and other things happening in the house.  I understand why, and when, I just never learned how to focus that strongly.  I did learn to put my hands between him and what he was reading.  Then he had to look at me and see I was trying to get his attention.  Yup, you have to laugh or you will start screaming!