On the way to the Sox game tonight, we stopped at the Des Plaines Oasis to grab something to drink for the ride. On the way out, an older gentleman approached me, and very tentatively, spoke "Excuse me, could you give me some directions?" He had white hair and a white goatee. I of course said yes, and asked "where to?". He again, tentatively said "Carol Stream."
He was heading east and Carol Stream was at least 20 miles west. I started, in general, telling him that he would have to get back on the tollway, but get off and get back on again to head west. He started fumbling with a shirt pocket, producing a few index cards, and continued searched for something to write with.
Carol handed me a pen from the front seat and I handed it to him. He had a look about him of being a little rattled, and after telling him, in generalities, how he needed to get turned around, it was getting obvious that he need more detail than that. The feeling I got was that he didn't know the area that well. So, slowly, I gave him the directions to get back on the Northwest Tollway going west. Then we worked out the Carol Stream directions. When I mentioned he should get off on 53 South, he perked up. He knew 53. And then I had him get off at North Avenue and her perked up again. He seemed to know North Avenue just fine.
The two of us went through the directions again, and then he read them back to me. It sounded like he got it. He asked, more than once, how to get out of the Oasis parking lot.
Then, just on a lark, I asked "Where are you going?"
That's when he said it.
"I'm going home. Main and Geneva. I just got a little lost."
Oh, my God. My heart sunk. "A little lost." Oh Christ... is he OK? He's old enough that, heaven forbid, he could be starting to "lose it" and maybe not be able to find his way home.
I bid him Good Luck. He didn't know how to respond to that. He then looked like he was looking for where he parked.
He was parked right next to us. We waited in our car, drinking the water and soda we just bought, and watched him pull out and onto the tollway. Carol felt the need to write down his plate number and description of the car.
We left the oasis, and eventually pass the gentleman, in the right hand lane, heading toward the O'Hare exit, just like I told him.
God, I feel terrible and helpless. I hope to God he was able to make it home alright.
2006- Two Ongoing Complaints
2005- First time in how long?
2004- You think you know people... but it turns out you don't...
2002- WAP
- Sad...
- XP on the iMac?
- No more TLC
- Friday 5 - Hobbies