untouchables

When we think of untouchables we invision India and her caste system and are
repulsed by the brutality of it. Yet we have our own untouchables. Ours come
from different stratospheres of society. It's not heridary or class distinct.
It is ill defined and can attack anyone. One day you'll be on the top of the
world, invited anywhere, respected by all.Then you slowly find it hard to get
out of bed every day and suddenly you'll be torn from your home by people
doing it for your best interests. You'll be taken to a strange building and
placed in a small room. It will have windows but the curtains will never be
opened, there may be electricity but you'll never know for sure because no one
turns the lights on. There may be someone else in the other bed but you can't
hear them breathing due to the machine whirling loudly at their bed side.People
will walk down the hallways talking and laughing with each other. You'll try to
get their attention but your words have become indistinguishable. They'll come
get you sometimes and sit you in front of a large screen television with others
who are slumped over and drooling. Around you will be people standing upright
eating cake and wearing colorful scrubs visiting with each other and ignoring
you. They don't notice you sliding out of your chair, practically on the floor,
your back all bent out of shape and your chin hanging on the safty strap.You've
become an non being. You've become old, wrinkled, unsightly. No one wants to be
associated with you.Your family can't tolerate the smells around you so they
won't come. You're dirty and sweaty and smell foul so they wouldn't touch you
even if they did visit. They are ashamed to tell your friends they placed you
here so no one can find you. Your friends wouldn't know what to say to you
anyway, you have nothing in common anymore. You can't converse about world
topics, the lattest fashions, recent movies and the news means nothing to
you... Who's the president now? The building your in is nothing more than the
lobby to the morgue,a pre registration area for the funeral home. My opinion
is time will be saved if these nursing homes were built next to the cemetaries,
there would be less travel time disposing of our untouchables.
But the good news is this can be changed. We can visit these untouchables every
day, talk to them, encourage them and make things better for them by gettting
involved and writing letters to our congressman and the newspapers so when it
comes time for our families to dispossess us things may have improved. We all
deny it will happen to us. Our families are close. We care for each other.
Don't count on it buddy. Our families have lives outside of the home, they
can't be with us all the time. When we become a burden and can't get out of bed
we'll become untouchable, and suddenly you'll be torn from your
bed...................