Part 3 Division Essay

kinesthetic but this was a whole new ball game when you added limited mobility, walkers, hearing and vision deficits, diminished balance but I was determined that they could do much more than they had be doing and do it safely. I planned a summer trip to visit the islands of Maine. I planned to go to Vinalhaven, Cranberry Island, Campobello and Isleboro. I had a meeting to sign people up and had it in the evening as many of the children of the residents (average age 65) had concerns about the trips. I walked into the hostile jungle feeling as if I was a Zebra in the Maine forest filled with squirrels and chipmunks. I explained that we were using our bus, these were all day trips, all paid for by my budget, the residents needed spending money only I was paying for meals at restaurants with the activity budget. There were activities at each location that I had planned. One child of my 96 year old resident Fred said you cannot take a bunch of 80 and 90 year olds on a trip its crazy they are too old to go that is why they are here. I could feel the redness spread across my face but I stood my ground a zebra in a forest of chipmunks and squirrels. I calmly and slowly explained there were 20 volunteer chaperones, 2 nurses I had conned into volunteering, and I believed that age is a number and this would be a safe and exciting adventure. The day of the trip came and I questioned my sanity. I had 38 residents going youngest 88 and oldest 102. I had three with walkers with limited mobility and one with no legs in a wheelchair. The chef and the maintenance man had planned to load and unload Molly our wheelchair resident at bus and ferry stops and I had people assigned to those with limited walking mobility. We left at 4:30a.m. and I served breakfast of muffins, juice boxes, granola bars, and go- gurt yogurts on the bus. Many of the residents had never had yogurt in a tube, or juice boxes and laughed at my obvious insanity. We arrived at the ferry for Cranberry Island which is a big converted lobster boat with seats inside cabin bench style and seats around body of boat. I had all the tickets and went down to great Robert and he couldn’t believe I was going to try to do this with this age people but he was ready to go. We went down the gang plank one by one and I knew who needed help and reminded everyone to hold onto the railing. There was a set of steps to enter over edge of dock onto boat so I had planned for every conceivable issue. First we loaded Molly Carney in wheelchair using the physical force of the chef and maintenance man to lift her chair on to the boat. She at 88 was in her glory as she joked she had 2 servants. She was the first female sea captain on Passamaquoddy Bay who hailed from Canada and for her at 88 this gave her back something she lost with the loss of her legs the chance to be aboard a boat. (Google her she is the real deal Captain Molly Carney) We helped people aboard and some wanted open air seats, others wanted inside the cabin. Molly got a front row seat up at the wheel with the captain who she quizzed expeditiously about maritime law. I had told them I was going to be constantly taking attendance and as we settled in the boat I called role call and they made fun of me and answered with remarks like drowned and lost. We sped out of northeast harbor on the morning dawn light and the faces and the boat were filled with wonder. Photos were taken and laughter was prevalent. We went through the unloading and the restaurant had a giant table set up for us and per my instruction had some special chairs for those with balance issues, and open spot for Molly’s wheelchair. The lunch was incredible many hadn’t had fresh seafood caught like this in many years. Many enjoyed ordering a drink and manhattans, martinis, and whiskey sours were ordered by many of the residents. One of the chaperones mentioned her concern about them ordering drinks but I told her these are independent adults and I’m quite sure they are all over 21. Molly banged on her whiskey sour glass and raised her glass and toasted the ring master of the circus (me) for her ability to see more than old age, more than limited persons, only her ability to see an opportunity to allow us to step outside the box and kick it