fly on the wall, dabbling in nail painting

i think i'm a snoop by nature
i love people watching
i love overhearing random conversations
i don't actually care (normally) about the content of the conversation, but I love watching how people interact
i love seeing who is driving in the cars beside me, so much so that sometimes people think i'm rudely staring at them
i love reading memoirs of peoples lives & thoughts
i love reading old letters
as a kid i used to read my brothers journal whenever i could sneak into his room
i loved knowing what he was thinking (older cooler brothers don't normally share all of their secrets and thoughts with their younger pesky sisters!)
there are times when i would love to be a fly on the wall to many conversations

when i was younger this got me into some trouble. because see.. i have a snoopy side, but i also do not deal well with guilt! so if you are reading this wondering if i've ever snooped on something of yours.. stop worrying. i would have already admitted it to you by now! so i have tried to get out all my snoopiness just by people watching.

last night i was painting nails at the PCH that i work at. its one of my favorite things that i do at my job because i get to spend 1-1 time with residents, and they always feel prettier or 'better' or more positive afterward. they always spend a lot of time thanking me, and apologizing for not 'paying' me. (i tell them i only accept payment in the forms of smiles, hugs and thank you's - which often results in me getting all 3!) anyway, last night i was painting nails in the dining room & 2 gentlemen were sitting at the same table as us, i will call them D & J.

J is new to our facility. A very kind & gentle man, but very confused. D is one of my favorite men, very helpful and very entertaining! also very confused. I don't know if you have ever witnessed a conversation between 2 people with alzheimers, but it's like they can understand one another in some strange way. even if what they are saying doesn't actually make any sense, it does to them! so here sat D & J, like old pals. each with a mug of hot chocolate and a cinnamon swirl, chatting. the conversation went something like this
J: So, where are you working these days?
D: Oh, you know.
J: Ah yes, yes.
D: You?
J: The same.
D: That's great.
J: Do you work a lot?
D: Ya, here and there.
J: What kind of hours?
D: You know, as they need me!
*insert hearty chuckle from both men here*
J: So, what do you think you'll get up to tomorrow?
D: A little of this, a little of that.
J: Sounds great. Hey, what are those ladies doing there?
(pointing at me painting a lady's nails)
D: Working with the hands. But.. *now he is speaking in hushed tones* if anyone ever sees it, they paint RIGHT OVER IT!
*insert more hearty chuckling*
J: Ahhhh, I know nothing about that kind of thing.
D: Oh no? I do.
J: Really?
D: Yup, I dabble in it once & a while!

It actually made my day. A conversation where nothing made sense in reality, but it did not matter. They were chatting & visiting like old friends, and who cares if it didn't actually "make sense".. it did to them! And with D dabbling in nail painting once & a while.. who knows.. maybe I'll have someone else that wants his nails painted next time :)