Organ Recita

I live in a senior retirement community. Small groups form in the dining room, around the coffee table or just casually in the corridors. One thing is the same: Wherever two or three are gathered an organ recital will be sure to happen. It may begin simply with “My hearing is bad so be sure to speak up.” Within minutes all body organs will get their attention. Soon there will be early excuses to leave from the group because of incontinence and kidney weakness. Then the stories of lumps in the breasts of women and removal of the prostate from the men. It takes about 20 minutes to cover all the organs and then the recital moves to allergies. The list will include allergies to foods, to clothes, to smells, to an endless list of things tangible and intangible. It is important to go into details about how the stomach or the skin or the nose reacts. Unless something suddenly intervenes, the concert can last up to an hour. Efforts to change the subject to something important like baseball scores, the food in the common dining area, or trips taken are all sure to fail. Organ recitals must take precedent. So sit back and listen and resist the impulse to add your own encore!