Heed that sign

It’s said that 70 is the new 50; well and good. I have a 70-plus brain and when it wakes in the morning, there’s no debating what it wants me to do first. Run to the bathroom, back pain, knee pain and all. I keep my toilet bowl sparkling white and immaculately clean for when I see it, my brain gives the go signal to open the flood gates. My first morning prayer is: “Thank you, Lord, I made it!”

I have made many adjustments in my life. I do socials only one night a week. On other days, I go to the nearest shopping mall, enjoy a nice meal, see a movie, have another meal, and see another movie. Who says they gave seniors free movies because we can’t see anyway? I enjoy them and I am grateful for the attention we are getting. If only I don’t have a mood change when I have to go to the CRs. (That’s “comfort rooms” for you, foreigners.)

Usually, the most comfortable unit, which is meant for us young once, is occupied. I like to satisfy my curious nature to see if a doddering creature is in there; I watch and wait. I am not totally surprised when a sprightly young person comes out. I gently tell the attendant to please ask her users to read the international sign on the door – an unmistakable image of a person in a wheelchair.

When we grow older, we get bulkier. It’s nature. The signs are there: Our waistline spreads and our teeth fall out; our movements become slow and we need a cane to get us through the day. And so, signs were created and put in parking areas and in rest rooms. The words “comfort” and “rest” hold a meaning dear to my heart but many of us Pinoys have yet to understand it. When no elderly or handicapped person is around, it’s a free-for-all. Heaven help the senior who can’t help it any longer. Someone should teach us Pinoys that signs are meant to be read, understood – and obeyed.

An elderly person is a handicapped person. You don’t need to lose an arm or a leg to be handicapped. We suffer back pain, arthritic knee pain, and pain shooting up at the most inconvenient times in the most unusual places. And we feel so tired so suddenly, we can hardly take another step. But then this is why I have to walk, to keep my blood circulating, or my brain might think there’s no one there anymore and declare me dead.

Sometime back, to grab a taxi and head for home was an ordeal meant only for the strong and the brave. There was no order in the public places of Manila. People didn’t line up at bus stops; in fact, there were no bus stops. A mad driver would just plow into a waiting crowd and sow chaos.

It took a while but soon there were queues for buses and taxis. Why did it take so long to learn to fall in line and wait one’s turn? Yet some signs are still being denied, or defied, to this day. “For Handicapped Use Only” might as well read “Welcome! Park thyself in here!”

I think those who ignore such a sign should be slapped a hefty fine. Let’s see how fast it is understood.

When I need a “handicapped” parking space near the entrance of a supermarket, that space is usually occupied. I watch and check if it is really a handicapped person using the space. But no, it is an able-bodied driver with an elderly person for a passenger. Couldn’t he have let his passenger off at the entrance, parked someplace else, and picked up his passenger later? Worse, sometimes it is a young person who is using the space. How? Well, she is a regular customer and the guard gets a tip for allowing her to use that space reserved for old women like me who can still drive but not necessarily walk a distance.

Someone needs to fight for the rights of the handicapped and persons who need assistance. Some young people ask me, “Ma’am, why don’t you have an alalay?” But does having an all-around assistant solve a problem? Is she going to clear a path for me when I’m in a rush to use the toilet? In many modern cities, signs are put up to help the elderly get around and continue living as normally as they can, by themselves. In fact, this is encouraged. An alalay is unheard of. But here in our country of spoiled brats, having an alalay is the name of the game. No alalay? Stay home then.

But what did the doctor tell you? “Get out of bed and take a walk!” It may be that the good doctor is clueless about what is out there: beggars, snatchers, holdup men, and “elderlynappers” ready to pounce. And to top it all, someone is occupying the only cubicle necessary for our comfort and joy.

What say you, people, huh? Can you give us a bit of cooperation here? Is it too much to give an elderly lady some consideration?

Please read and respect the sign. You will grow old, too, you know. How difficult can it be to read and understand an international sign? Thank you, all!

Shirley Wilson de las Alas is pushing 74 and lives alone in a condo. She goes to the movies and eats in her favorite restaurants thrice a week. At home, she plays some musical instruments, watches a bit of TV, and reads a lot, her favorite reading matter being the Inquirer and True Crime stories. Her favorite author is Ann Rule. “I may have the widest collection of her books,” she says.