There lived, many centuries ago, a young man. This man had
built a large and spacious home, and the home had many rooms in it and much
furniture. The fact that he had so many things in his house meant he was
concerned that thieves might break in and steal many of his possessions. All
sorts of protection and security devices were purchased and installed to insure
the place was safe.
The fact the home was so large meant that the man did not
have the time or energy to decorate or visit all the rooms he would have liked
to. In fact, some of the rooms were quite dark and dank. There were rooms in
the basement that had doors locked and nobody ever visited. Some worried and
feared what might be growing in such places.
There were a many rooms on the main floor that were well
decorated, and guests were invited to wine and dine in such well lit rooms. In
fact, the well dressed rooms on the main floor were a place of much merriment
and joy for many when the man and his friends were young. Good memories were
etched and written in the well carved and crafted walls.
Time has a predictable way of aging one and all, and,
predictably so, the young man passed through the necessary stages of life from
youth to middle age to an aging old man.
The seasons of transition in the man’s life brought with
them new and deeper fears, and he began to withdraw more into his home and
house. Fewer people were invited to visit him, and he feared that thieves might
break in and steal much of his fine furniture. So, he bought bars for the
windows and installed them. He bought better and more sensitive security
systems and had them carefully installed.
The deeper the fears, the fewer people he trusted, and less
people came to see him. The basement was closed off, and most of the rooms on
the main floor were locked. He had not been to the upper rooms for decades.
Windows had been closed, shutters locked from the inside and outside. Old
friends tried again and again to warn the aging man that his attitudes and
actions would cause him great hurt and harm, but the more they did this, the
more he interpreted their actions in a negative way. He was sure they were
interested in his possessions and property. He stopped contacting such friends,
and he rarely left his large home. The once lush garden and fruit laden orchard
became thick with weeds.
Older friends did continue to call, and the man would answer
some calls, but he feared going out under the blue canopy and the warmth and
light from day star.
It happened that in the winter of the year, when the ground
was frozen and hard with snow, a call was send through to the old man but there
was no answer. A few more friends tried to contact him, but silence was the
only reply. Day turned to dusk, and his few remaining friends became quite
worried. They went over to the home, and knocked on the door. There was no
answer. They waited and waited in the cold not knowing what to do. They finally
decided, after much pondering and reflecting, to break in. The locks were
broken, the door beaten down and the friends entered the dark and dingy home.
They called out to the old man, but there was no answer. They rushed and
hurried from room to room. They soon found him in his bedroom, shaking and trembling,
hardly any clothes on him. They called the ambulance, but the man insisted he
did not want to be taken to the hospital. The first aid worker and the ambulance
driver placed the old man on a stretcher and took him in haste to the hospital.
The man fought and resisted, objected and protested all the way. He wanted to
stay in his home.
The man had had a serious stroke, and he was immediately
taken into emergency in the hospital. The nurses and doctors did what they
could, and, in time, with much treatment and care, the aging man was put in
extended care. His friends came to visit him, and the staff were most kind and
gracious to him. He was never able to use his legs again, he needed assistance
to dress, eat and go to the washroom. He forgot about his home, and, in time,
he made many new friends in the extended care ward.