Denial & Other Tales

Brief conversations with Marshall at the gym are both enlightening and unnerving. On the topic of residing in the “old folks home, he said, “That’s like living in a hospital.” Well, more like an intensive care unit (ICU). Interest in working out regularly at the gym has waned for Marshall. He attributes the latter to old age. Fortunately, he has a spouse and two adult offspring. So, there is at least a good support network for him. Marshall may have already passed the stage of denial.

The need to scrimp and save money at this point in time is the act of denial in action. Estimates indicate that there is enough money to draw about $25,000 per annum for 20 years until zero balance. Family antecedents indicate a life expectancy of only 15 years. A new policy is needed to countermand the current austerity measures.

There really is no place for senior citizens as the entire global life-style is aimed toward the younger generations. Senior citizens can only hobble around while waiting for death. For the more affluent senior citizens, the home (read: mausoleum) can provide all of the “creature comforts” within easy reach. The senior citizen life-style can then be isolated to the “recliner.” Unfortunately, such a life-style only contributes to a rapid decline into decrepitude. Recline and decline.

There are myriad gorgeous young hotties residing in Waikiki, a lot of whom were spotted in the area of the “old folks home.” The rent for apartments, most of them being dumps, is extremely high. Yet, the young hotties appear to have more than enough money to survive.

On a darker note, the fast food joint on Kuhio Ave has turned into a major dump since the last visit a couple of years ago during the one-month stay in Waikiki. Myriad teenaged delinquents, some possibly homeless, loiter there in the late evening. That particular location was also the scene of the fatal shooting of a local guy during an altercation with an agent of empire. Lots of muggings also occur in the immediate vicinity, again attributed to the aforementioned delinquents.

Addendum: Another encounter with an alumnus of the Sand Island homeless shelter occurred at Ala Moana Center this afternoon. She was one of the many people who were “shipped off to Barber’s Point.” Apparently, the transitional shelter there is not too bad aside from the distance to town. The converted military barracks are now self-contained apartments. Rent is fairly low and maximum residency is three years. Encounters with people from the Sand Island homeless shelter have been nice. When people have next to nothing, they become more human and humane.