Wednesday Wisdom

I visited a resident and began the conversation by breaking my own rule of never asking a resident "How are you?" *

"Well, I've been sick" 92-year-old Catherine replied with the all-too-standard answer (and the main reason you should never ask an old person this forbidden question).

"Oh? What's the matter?" I asked, already too far gone to turn back now.

Catherine leaned in toward me as if she wanted to share a secret and whispered loudly: "Let's put it this way. You should never trust a fart."

Indeed not.



*This rule has been in existence since February 2, 2005, which is the day a cantankerous resident turned 100 years old. I made the mistake of asking her the forbidden question and she snappily replied "I'm 100 years old. How in the hell do you think I am?"