nursing home blues (slightly OT)

[Piannaman@aol.com]

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Tom,

Your post was quite moving.  Thanks for offering us a glimpse of something 
that we all hope we don't have to see from the inside.

Dave Stahl

In a message dated 10/13/03 7:10:37 PM Pacific Daylight Time, Tvak@aol.com 
writes:


> Today I tuned a Wurly spinet in a nursing home.  I have never experienced 
> such negativity anywhere in my brief (6 years) career as a tuner.  There were 
> about 10 patients of the nursing home in the activity room where the piano 
> was and as soon as I walked in and introduced myself to the attendant, a chorus 
> arose.
> 
> "He's not going to PLAY the piano, is he?" to which the attendant would 
> reply, "No, he's going to tune it."  Five minutes later, "What's he doing at the 
> piano?  Is he playing it?"  "No, he's tuning it."  And as if there was a tape 
> loop set up in the room, five minutes later, someone else would ask, "What's 
> he doing at the piano?  Is he playing it?"  "Does he have to play the 
> piano?"  "Why can't he stop?"
> 
> I tuned as quietly and quickly as I could.
> 
> Then they started a game of BINGO.  I'd respectfully pause as each number 
> was called, and then resume striking keys and tuning, but after every number, 
> someone would yell out "I can't hear because of that piano!"  One lady threw 
> her BINGO board on the floor and refused to play because I made it too 
> difficult to hear.
> 
> These people in the twilight of their lives had returned to a state of 
> childhood, where their only concern was themselves.  
> 
> I always try to do the best job I can under any circumstances, whether it be 
> noisy kids, barking dogs, no light, whatever...it doesn't faze me.  Never 
> before have I felt like I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as I 
> could.  I didn't adjust the pitch, it was about 10 cents sharp.  I tuned it where 
> it was; as quietly, and quickly as possible, and headed for the door.  It 
> probably wasn't a very stable tuning: I didn't feel like I could really strike 
> those hard blows without garnering more animosity.  They made me feel in no 
> uncertaint terms that I was intruding.
> 
> I know these people have problems much more severe than my own.  This is not 
> a happy time in their lives.  This post is not meant as an indictment of 
> their behavior.   Rather it is about my reaction to it.
> 
> This experience made me realize that I have gotten used to people being 
> happy to see me.  I come on time, I provide a service that improves their lives 
> in a small way, I'm polite, and everyone comes out ahead.  Day after day.  
> 
> I enjoy the general pleasantry of my daily existence.  Without this nursing 
> home appointment I don't think I would have been cognizant of that, having 
> become accustomed to it.  
> 
> I went to my next appointment and met the most delightful old retired fellow 
> with a beautiful 1915 Steinway Louis XIV grand.  I think it was rosewood.  
> 
> 



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