A colorful new bird in the flock

There is a new resident at one of the nursing homes where I play. She is quite a sprightly, colorful person who stands out like a peacock among pigeons. Now I am not trying to say anything negative about the other residents, just that most of them seem very tame and quiet in contrast to Ms. P___.

When I arrived last night to play she approached me quickly pushing herself in her wheelchair to say hello.  Her long, grey hair was tied back with a big sunflower barrette.  She wore a  colorful Guatemalan dress, Japanese looking sandals and big beaded rings on her fingers.

I was playing my guitar and she laughed and mimicked me putting her hands up as if playing an air guitar.   Then she passed me by as if she were in a hurry to get somewhere,  stopping to touch the hands of a gentleman asleep or to say something to another resident who did not seem to notice her. (hard not to!)

When we met up again, we started talking about the weather and I said something about being from Chicago. She scrunched her face and said, "Chicago?! Goddamn! " and whisked herself away as if she said enough. It made me laugh and appreciate the colorful ways she lights up that place.