The Funeral

So what happened? Did I go? We managed to come to a compromise in which my husband went to the funeral, I met a friend and had an eccentric lunch with the 2 boykins in tow!!! So who got the better deal I wonder?! Anyway Id agreed to meet him just after 2pm and after a few minutes he appeared and came running over, 'Oh you must come in, everyone is dying to see you!!' Great turn of phrase there I thought.......Just what I hoped for. Gone were my quick escape plans. My protestations were useless so he marched off with the boys, and me promising to re park the car and get myself out. Now the thing is, the situation of the synagogue is awkward. There is NO obvious place for parking, and certainly NO useful dropped kerb. You'd think there might be one outside the building but no there isn't, so its really awkward. Not just for me either, there are other elderly members of the community who find it hell. Its also a rather hilly area which doesn't help. I had to park on a junction at the top of a hill and just about get out the car. It was OK, but Bristol City Council, you should look at this because it isn't satisfactory.

Why are events so awkward for me? Well people do react even though you know they are trying not too. The other thing is of course they don't know how to actually deal with me. I find I hear lots of people shouting "lovely to see you" all the time, my head swivels round like a bloody owl as I'm trying to work out who just said that. Then, people like to come up behind me, put their hand on my shoulders and start talking, like I have eyes in the top of my head or something. The worst thing of all is when they bend over, bob down, say hello to the side of you and bob back up before you get chance to say anything. And yes you're right in thinking all this did happen and its horrible at times. Finally of course when you are going, people open the doors for you. I have absolutely no problem as I do it for other people and its a question of manners. However spatially people are not aware. They STAND IN THE DOORWAY expecting you to come through. I inevitably run over toes and spend 5 minutes going "Sorry, sorry, are you alright?" to at least 3 or 4 individuals.

So you can see Im not keen on mass events. Who knows if I will ever be totally at ease with myself but I suppose its getting better, after all it was only a short time ago that I would have been too shy to go. By the way it was a great funeral with lots of smiles and few tears, they are the best ones to be sure.