This post does not break the vow I made under "Which?" It concerns me, not VR.
I visit her regularly and find myself comparing my current way of life (Lonely but free to do whatever I wish) with hers (Seated and surrounded by inarticulacy and/or other forms of suffering associated with this terrible illness).
Leaving me feeling guilty. The manageress of the nursing home says: "You are not alone".
Both my daughters are distant and I am regularly in touch by phone. Both are immensely supportive. I mention this feeling of guilt but point out the word is inexact: guilt implies self-blame and I am not responsible for VR's illness. Wouldn't "grief" be a better word, one suggests.
It would. And, strangely, this greater precision helps me. The joy of getting language right.
**** And, with almost unbelievable timing, an email arrives from a local computer repair service which used TeamViewer Host software (ie, temporarily taking over the running of my PC from an office three miiles away) to cure a connection problem. At the time I was impressed by this very civilised way of doing business, and said so. Would I therefore write them a review? I would, but, I told them, it would not take the form of most reviews - apparently composed by the company owner's uncle.
Quite, quite different. I was surprised they posted it. But they did and they say it triggered dozens more "honest" reviews. Lessons learned: Stay clear of clichés, think before pressing the first key, revel in language's ultimate potential.
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