In the category of “nothing happens by accident,: the winner is…
I recently began a volunteer position coordinating a program for local retirees/seniors, in which we tutor English language to high school students in the Middle East, once a week.
The age of the tutors ranges from 61 (me) to 90. You can only imagine the learning curve attached to this project.
All of the six volunteers are very eager to connect with, and help their students practice and improve their English skills. Especially the 90-year-old, Pam.
Her excitement notwithstanding, she had one small hurdle; learning to use Skype on her iPad mini.
She only ever uses the iPad to Facetime her son in England. Enter Shelley, the Skype tutor.
Now, just to be clear, I’m no tech wizard, by any means. But I’m fairly familiar with Skype, totally conversant with email, and the village idiot when it comes to Twitter.
So, I spent six hours over two days, teaching Pam how to accept and make Skype video calls. Let me tell you a bit about Pam.
She is a charming, funny, talented and very sharp 90-year-old from England, who spent 30 years teaching English in Spain.
As we practiced using Skype, she asked me what my last name is. I told her Civkin. She stopped for a moment, then said: “Your name is very familiar. Was your father on dialysis at St. Paul’s Hospital years ago?”
That sounds like a simple enough question, but when she asked me, I got chills.
It turns out that her late husband was also on dialysis, and was in the next bed over from my father! For the same time period 14 years ago.
She saw my sister and I take our father to dialysis, and pick him up three times a week.
As I always say, nothing happens by accident. To make it even more uncanny, the day she told me this happened to be the 14-year anniversary of my father’s passing!
I’m a real believer in signs, and I honestly think this was my late father’s way of bringing Pam and I together.
It turns out that Pam and I have become new BFFs. The second time I went to Pam’s place to practice Skype, she had a beautiful lunch waiting for me, consisting of Coq au Vin, steamed veggies and almond tarts.
She’s so delightfully sharp and so eager to volunteer her time to teach others English, it’s really inspiring. Since then, we have spent several hours together chatting and getting to know each other. What a blessing she is in my life.
So, this is what retirement is, too; making new old friends. Everyone has something to teach. And learn.
Shelley Civkin is a retired communications officer with the Richmond Public Library.
