The Help Department

I went to the Village Hall today to get our vehicle stickers, a pet tag for Rex, and to update our shed permit. While I was there, I ran into Mike, the Health and Community Services Director. I met Mike when I was on the Board of Health several years ago.

While we were catching up, an old man shouted to Mike, "What do you do here?" He was a good fifty feet from the desk, so he really belted it out.

Mike, a guy who's been at this job for almost 30 years, was patient. I am sure he has seen his share of old, ornery men.

"I run the Health Department," he replied, as the man continued our way.

"Good," the man said, "Perfect. You're the man I need to see. The man who runs the Help Department."

"Health," Mike said, correcting the man. "The Health Department." Mike was standing behind a large wooden counter top that resembled a bar. It was the first day in the new building that the Village had just completed. Mike was telling me about the move when the man approached us.

"Well, in that case," he said, "Give me a drink. I'm thirsty."

"I'm not a bartender," Mike jokingly replied. "I don't have any bottles of liquor back here or anything." He looked down at the counter top for affect.

"All the more better. I don't want to drink and never wake up. Some people do that, you know. Drink and never wake up. I don't like that. Not for me." The man waited for a reply, but Mike didn't know where to go with that really. "Maybe you can help me anyway..."

It was at that point, that I excused myself. I was looking for an out anyway. Something that would allow me to continue with the errands I had to finish running. I still needed to get to GNC to see what kind of protein bars they had and to stop at the bank for some cash; errands after a workday.

So how does this relate to turning 40? Well, I'd like to think that the old man had some type of wisdom he was offering. Don't drink so much that you die. Simple enough, but there have been times that I have probably teetered on the edge of that possibility. Times when too much turned into way too much which turned into blacking out, puking, and waking up the next morning, still drunk, unable to believe that I survived the gamble.

It's been a while since something like that has happened. But, like I've always believed, there's much to be learned from older adults. And today, that was my lesson.