After spending so much time at the retirement home over the summer I got hired on as a personal nurse assistant in the unit (the Altzheimer's wing). The catch, it was graveyard (10pm-6am) not just the once or twice a week I was promised, but more like four or five days a week, being on call the rest of the seven. Also, it is a common misconception that if it were graveyard shift the residents would all be asleep and nothing would need to be done. It is, in fact, the complete opposite. I LOVE the residents, I always have. The same day I got hired on, I got offered a position as the piano accompianist for the Caldwell High School choirs. The catch with this position: It was currently another "unpaid" job, but was working on becoming either a paid position in a year, or a scholarship to a school with a large music program. For anyone who knows me, music is my life. Literally. It's my boyfriend, it's my happy place, it's my world. It was very clear to me that realistically I couldn't do both jobs, and teach piano, AND go to school. It just wouldn't work. I had to drop something...and that made me sad. I had grown to love the residents so much, and each of them held a special place in my heart. I was never happier than when I was at the retirement home. But on top of that, music was my all time favorite. Music made me even happier than the retirement home (if that was possible)! After working three days at the retirement home, caring for the residents, waking them up every hour to take them to the bathroom, transporting them from wheelchair to toilet, and doing the laundry when we didn't make it, getting them ready for the day at 4am, cleaning the bathrooms and the kitchen, folding the linens for the entire facility...tiring though it may be, I loved it. They became MY residents. But the time came to choose, retirement home or piano...and I knew where my heart laid. If I didn't take the piano job I would always regret it. Yes, I would miss my residents terribly, but I would miss the piano opportunity even more. So, very sadly, I quit my retirement home job after only three days.... I still miss my residents horribly, and wish that there were some way I could be super woman and do everything. Although I don't miss the excitement/horror of graveyard shift (you'll have to ask if you want more details...) I do miss running them to the bathroom, and their hugs and kisses, and personalities and small simple "thank you's".
Me getting ready for a night at the retirement home:
But alas!! I've been doing the piano thing over at the High School and am so glad I took it!! I LOVE it more than everything else. It's helped me realize how much I depend on music, and how extremely happy it makes me.
Due to the recent realizations and events, and after spending so much time with the choirs and playing the piano, I've decided I want to major in Musical Therapy. Maybe Political Science will still stick around to become my minor...?? :)
