There is a dance number in the Broadway show “The Producers” which features older women using their walkers to create a faux tap dance. Today, I felt I was at an audition for that scene. There were that many women with walkers.
Erika, from Public Affairs, had asked me to speak to a group of seniors at Gardenside Terrace in Branford. These are older folks who need help or attention in their daily lives.
From the outside, it’s tough to categorize the architecture. Too many roof lines. Too little character. Inside, the facility itself was quite nice.
I spoke for around 45 minutes. It was a variant of a speech I’ve given 500 times. Truth is, you can’t speak all the time without having something like a political stump speech.
Most of the audience was attentive, but not all. A woman to my left nodded off a few times, sleeping in her seat. The first time I saw her go, I prayed it was only sleep. You never know.
After the show I met a woman who was 96 years old. She looked great. I asked her a question, and though she answered, it wasn’t really an answer to my question.
All in all, this was a good thing. These were nice people and they were desperately trying to stay active and vital. It’s a tough fight as age is a very persistent opponent – and age always wins.