Yesterday, I was interviewed at Mountain Lake Seniors Community for a position at the facilities. The community is located at the top of the mountain, with the most stunning view overlooking Nelson and Kootenay Lake that I have ever seen.

Image courtesy of Park Place Seniors Living

Their Philosophy
Laughter and fun portray comfort and home. Who wouldn’t want a position at a facility where laughter and fun are the philosophy. I sure do!

I wish I had brought my camera with me, so as I was leaving the interview, I could have snapped some shots. There were some breathtaking shots and the day was gorgeous. Bright sunshine, fall colours spotted throughout the greenery and the lake look like a tall glass of water.

Some of the images of the people there were worth a snap of my camera… not that I’d whip out a camera during the tour portion of my interview… well any portion of my interview, actually… but if I wasn’t vying for a job there, I would have taken as many shots as I could get away with.

A black and white shot of the woman having a nap on the gentleman’s shoulder; a photo of the amazing 88 year old teacher I met who was sitting on a bench basking in the sun; an image of the 5 foot birdcage with two birds, I think one green and one yellow,  happily chirping away in the hallway.

And the staff. These women are something to behold. Their eyes are bright; their faces are lit up. Their smiles are wide and genuine. They enjoy their work. And I want to be alongside them enjoying my work there.

Wait… Why am I applying for a job at a seniors community?

Right.. on that note, well I have a thing for seniors. No I’m serious. I adore them, even when their grumpy. When my Nana was alive, I had the best times with her; when her mind was clear, she shared with me amazing stories, which sadly, I never thought to record at the time. I suppose I naively thought she would always be around to tell me these stories over and over.

When she was feeling downright crotchety, she said the funniest things. I was never offended because she was 83. Years. Old. She was on this planet for 83 years. So, I figured maybe that takes a toll on ones nerves, maybe being consistently pleasant, proper and polite, she was a British lass after all, for about 75 of those 83 years became tiring and she’d rather just cut to the crap. Why not?

But someone else’s Nana is not your Nana

Hmm.. true, which means I can empathize with the experience families are having when they have a loved one in a seniors community. I know what it is like; I have been there. I had to put my adorable Nana into a home, a lovely home albeit, but not her home at that point, and had to leave her there, even though the last place she recalled ever living in was a home we bought from her twenty-five years prior–it was still very difficult.

And Nana kept up with her quirky ways: at tea time she would snitch extra brownies and nanaimo bars and stuff them in her purse for later; snake tea bags that she would never use unless I  made her a pot of tea in the little kitchenette in her apartment; and dusty sugar cubes could be found in the pockets of her polyester pants. Sometimes I wouldn’t find them when I washed her laundry, and her clothes would go through a sudsy sugar wash.

Right, so why did I apply when I already have a freelancing job?

When I saw the job ad posted in the daily newspaper, I felt a very strong urge to deliver my resume and become part of this community.

And, to be honest, the way the economy has been going, I feel more comfortable having a day job while I freelance during off hours. More activity outside the virtual world will do my soul some good.

After meeting everyone and having the tour, my urge has given way to desire. I could gleefully spend my energy in this place. And the hours are brilliant. Five mornings a week, some afternoons. I am astonished at how well those hours and my life match.

Now I wait to hear back while they make their decision. I have my fingers crossed, while I maintain my daily schedule here. Full time position at Mountain Lake Community is my mantra; join in the chant if you wish. I could do with the extra energy to send out the message.