Warrigal
SF VIP
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
Nona, I too am sad for you regarding the circumstances of the loss of your son. If I may, I'll offer this consolation - his last moments may not have been painful and he may very well have died thinking of you and happy memories. I suspect the mind separates itself from the body at times like this and distances itself from pain.
Annie, I think you are on the right track here. We need to watch out for one another and establish local networks of watchfulness.
One of our neighbours, who was something of a recluse and a curmudgeon, disappeared one day. My next door neighbour noticed that his porch light had remained on for several days and nights and she alerted me. We went over but could see nothing. We knew his first name but nothing else about him. Fishing out some mail from his letter box we discovered his surname and started ringing around. We found him in the local hospital where he had been taken after collapsing. We visited him and found out what he needed and he allowed us into his house to get his shaver and other items. This was a big step for him because he was also a miser and highly suspicious of everyone.
After that we kept an eye on him and began to chat. He appreciated the connection and we were also able to contact his two sons whom he had alienated years before. We gave them reports of his welfare and eventually there was some reconnection with one of them. This continued until after his death when the property was eventually sold.
I sometimes think about this for myself. I have children and grand children not too far away but it is the neighbours who observe our comings and goings. They see the outside lights go on and off and the washing on the line. They see the cars going in and out of the garage. They are likely to quickly notice if something is different. I don't always close the living room vertical venetians in the evening and I can be seen in my house watching TV. That doesn't worry me one bit.
When we go on holidays we always let the neighbours know so it is unlikely that if I disappeared for any length of time without notice, someone might come looking for me. They do the same when they go away and someone always knows what is going on.
As our long term neighbours have moved away, we have made ourselves known to the new residents and have helped them to settle in. A generation younger than us, they also watch over us, even though we don't chat every day.
Annie, I think you are on the right track here. We need to watch out for one another and establish local networks of watchfulness.
One of our neighbours, who was something of a recluse and a curmudgeon, disappeared one day. My next door neighbour noticed that his porch light had remained on for several days and nights and she alerted me. We went over but could see nothing. We knew his first name but nothing else about him. Fishing out some mail from his letter box we discovered his surname and started ringing around. We found him in the local hospital where he had been taken after collapsing. We visited him and found out what he needed and he allowed us into his house to get his shaver and other items. This was a big step for him because he was also a miser and highly suspicious of everyone.
After that we kept an eye on him and began to chat. He appreciated the connection and we were also able to contact his two sons whom he had alienated years before. We gave them reports of his welfare and eventually there was some reconnection with one of them. This continued until after his death when the property was eventually sold.
I sometimes think about this for myself. I have children and grand children not too far away but it is the neighbours who observe our comings and goings. They see the outside lights go on and off and the washing on the line. They see the cars going in and out of the garage. They are likely to quickly notice if something is different. I don't always close the living room vertical venetians in the evening and I can be seen in my house watching TV. That doesn't worry me one bit.
When we go on holidays we always let the neighbours know so it is unlikely that if I disappeared for any length of time without notice, someone might come looking for me. They do the same when they go away and someone always knows what is going on.
As our long term neighbours have moved away, we have made ourselves known to the new residents and have helped them to settle in. A generation younger than us, they also watch over us, even though we don't chat every day.
layful: 
