See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil

I am pretty sure that I do not need to worry about seeing evil around the condo. Enough said.

I continue to work at being calm, patient, respectful, loving, supportive, etc with Gregory on our Alzheimer's Path, therefore speaking no evil gets easier.

The one I just became aware of having perfected is hearing no evil. That is the subject of this post.

My hearing has become fine tuned to all types of noises around the condo. This has happened in relation to Gregory's increasing need for supervision and in addition, our getting two baby kitties. Gregory's needs have been increasing for ten years now and most recently have become fairly intense.

The kitties (Emma and Gigi) were 4 and 5 months old when we got them and they are now 9 and 10 months old respectively. As you can imagine, new kitties can get into a lot of trouble, especially when there are two of them to egg each other on.

I am tuned into noises during the day, when we have music playing, at night when I am asleep. For the most part, there are three noises as well as their intensity that I am able to distinguish in relation to both Gregory, the cats, the state of the condo, and all of our general well being.

The first noise I can distinguish is OK NOISE. On hearing this type of noise, I can identify what or where it is coming from, know that the noise is safe, and know that I do not have to worry about it or take action. Examples are the washing machine changing cycles, the refrigerator dropping a new supply of ice cubes, the furnace clicking on or off, the kitties chasing a mouse (stuffed,) Gregory going to the bathroom.

The second noise I can distinguish is the NOT-OK-NOISE or NEEDS-MY-ATTENTION NOISE. On hearing this type of noise, I know that I must get up and go see what is happening to cause the noise and why. Did Gregory shatter a wine glass when it was dropped, is a kitty climbing the screen door, did the front door open and close, and who said "Oh shit" and why? If I hear Gregory shaving at 4:00am, I will get up and redirect him back to bed.

The third noise I can distinguish is the UNIDENTIFIED NOISE, which causes me to react as I would to noise number two but perhaps a little more quickly. Once on site with the noise, I can revert to my usual NOISE 1 or NOISE 2 reaction.

Also, I can distinguish the urgency of NOISES 1 and 2 and will react quickly or more slowly, with calmly or pumping blood, OMGing (Oh My God)ing or not. I used to jump up and run to Gregory for a "Oh No!" or "O Fuck!" noise, now I wait to see what happens next.

Actually, as I write this I realize that there are other types of noises in my repetroire. For example, if the buildings emergency alarm klaxon is sounding in my unit and the recorded message is instructing us to evacuate using the nearest stairway, I will gather my cell phone - wallet - keys etc, Gregory, and the cats if they are available and willing.

Then I will feel the front door to see if it is hot, and proceed across the hall to the emergency stairwell. If I can hear the klaxon faintly, I know that it is sounding in a different zone, well above our floor, and be prepared in case of further instruction from the fire department but will not take action and will remain calm.

Sometimes the kitty noises are of the nature that can be labeled playful, worrisome, come feed me, or wrestling with my sister. Different talking, different reactions.

When Gregory calls "Help," which he usually does in a calm quiet tone, I go to his aid no matter what.

When the phone rings, sometimes I answer it and sometimes I let voice mail greet the caller.

All in all, the ability to monitor my life, Greogry's, and the cats is quite beneficial to avoiding or catching problems before they get too advanced. I get a certain amount of peace of mind from this talent.