Do you know what the most depressing sound in the world is?
Well, I'll tell you. It's the sound of your next-door neighbor, a late-60s-ish, gay (He totally hit on Shawn when he used to live here), very very alone, very very messy (not uncommon to spy cockroaches crawling up his front door and sometimes even making their way to my apartment), but genuinely nice man sobbing.
I can hear him through the wall that separates our homes.
Part of me wants to go over to his house, wade through the piles of stacked-up old newspapers and Chinese take-out containers littering his apartment, and give him a friendly hug, even though we've said maybe 10 words to each other in the 5 years I've lived here. The other part of me wants to run into the bedroom and put on my noise-cancelling headphones and rock myself to sleep like a savant, because the sound is so utterly heartbreaking and is driving me kind of insane.
Poor guy.
What would you do?
A Time To Go
5 years ago
16 comments:
Maybe you could post leaflets advertising activities or social clubs for older people through his door?
I always feel sorry for older men, they always seem to have a harder time of it than older women.
Send Shawn over there to give him a hug.
You don't need to run in to his room and hug him, but if you want to make a positive change in the man's life, you need to ENGAGE with him. Start speaking to him. Make up excuses to visit him.
It's going to be hard work, but is anything worth your peace of mind supposed to be easy?
bunny, Hmmm...maybe under his door would be obvious, but I could put them up by the mailboxes...
Jack, Great idea! He owes me anyway.
Scoot, that does sound like a lot of hard work. Tough. Real tough. Huh.
best to avoid hugging him; he's gay, and you don't want to go catching the hiv.
As a younger lonely guy I would advise going over and giving him sex. I know he's gay, but you may be able to turn him back. Just my humble opinion...
Give him a Watchtower brochure.
Nothing says lovin like somethin from the oven. Bake him some cookies.
That'll be me in 30 years. That's the sad part. Except for the gay thing.
Jeremy, I'd be worried if he got out more.
Ron, Not on your life. No. Just, no.
CL, I'm fresh out.
Pru, that is a really lovely idea. And the only one I'd consider. Because, hey, who doesn't love baking? (this girl. But I'd do it anyway).
Mr. U, How could that possibly be true when you're so super-sexy and have that wonderpenis? Surely you jest.
Or you could try to straighten him out and then rock his world then break his heart and give him something to cry about.
Or maybe just a sympathetic smile. Whatever.
eh. what a horrible situation.
i agree on the cookies. start baking. :)
I'd try to catch him outside his place and speak to him and try to start a conversation.
Then again, I'll talk to anybody about anything.
xoxox You're a sweet girl!
Yep, cookies........
Many a problem in life can be solved with a fresh-baked cookie...
Sex would be good too, but my vote is for the cookies......
Maybe he was watching Steel Magnolias.
Sob alongside
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