Friday, December 15, 2006
Bingo at Pacific Gardens
My wife works at an assisted living place for the elderly called Pacific Gardens. They love to play bingo at Pacific Gardens, maybe old people everywhere love bingo. I get the feeling when people get old, their last way to be naughty in life is to gamble, and bingo is about the tamest form of gambling. I never saw a movie where the mobsters were cutting off a guys toes due to bingo debts.
I like to volunteer at PG, and once I was asked to call bingo. I rolled the big hollow ball full of little balls and as the balls come out, I would say things. I would say, "B9, number 9, maybe the best hitter in history, Ted Williams wore the number 9."
Me: I29.... Rod Carew, one of the best players in Minnesota Twins history wore the number 29.
Some people liked the baseball stories that went with the numbers. Then I had "N 55...in 1955 the Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Yankees in the World Series. Does anyone remember 1955?"
And Gladys says, "I was there."
Me: No way, you were in Brooklyn in 1955?
Gladys: Yes, I lived on Flatbush avenue, and my parents took me to Ebbets Field, and I remember the parade when they won.
Me: Wow what a great story.
George: Are we going to play bingo or are we going to chat?
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The room was now sort of divided, I felt about half the people liked my way of making conversation about numbers in bingo, the other half just wanted me to call numbers. Eventually a few people, including George quit playing. Some of the people had a lot more faculties than others. The winner of each round would get to pick the game for the next round. One game is called "the kite" and it is fairly complicated to figure out if you have won the kite. My feeling is that the sharper people in the room liked to play those games because the ones who are losing it are at more of a disadvantage.
Another time my sister, brother and I played Christmas music for the elderly. It was very rewarding. They like the music and had a lot of questions after we played. Overall working with the elderly great.
I like to volunteer at PG, and once I was asked to call bingo. I rolled the big hollow ball full of little balls and as the balls come out, I would say things. I would say, "B9, number 9, maybe the best hitter in history, Ted Williams wore the number 9."
Me: I29.... Rod Carew, one of the best players in Minnesota Twins history wore the number 29.
Some people liked the baseball stories that went with the numbers. Then I had "N 55...in 1955 the Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Yankees in the World Series. Does anyone remember 1955?"
And Gladys says, "I was there."
Me: No way, you were in Brooklyn in 1955?
Gladys: Yes, I lived on Flatbush avenue, and my parents took me to Ebbets Field, and I remember the parade when they won.
Me: Wow what a great story.
George: Are we going to play bingo or are we going to chat?
------------
The room was now sort of divided, I felt about half the people liked my way of making conversation about numbers in bingo, the other half just wanted me to call numbers. Eventually a few people, including George quit playing. Some of the people had a lot more faculties than others. The winner of each round would get to pick the game for the next round. One game is called "the kite" and it is fairly complicated to figure out if you have won the kite. My feeling is that the sharper people in the room liked to play those games because the ones who are losing it are at more of a disadvantage.
Another time my sister, brother and I played Christmas music for the elderly. It was very rewarding. They like the music and had a lot of questions after we played. Overall working with the elderly great.
# posted by Mike @ 11:57 AM 
