Memory Stain

2 Goodgymers helped an isolated person in Camden
Sevan
Kash
1 / 17
Camden

Saturday 23rd May

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Report written by Sevan

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That's a beautiful building that Mr P lives in"

...

"The lobby looks familiar"

...

"I think we were here 2 years ago to help clear a writing desk?"

...

What Kash and Sevan could see of the world around them woke up some long forgotten memories and sparked brain cells back into action. When Mr P opened the door, he looked vaguely familiar. His writing desk and where it sat in the hallway brought back more memories of Kash and Sevan's previous mission. Mr P couldn't do this in the same way he was blind. Through the mission, he showed off his own techniques to remember things from the past.

Today, Mr P wanted help sorting through a drawer of medicines which was apparently a very small task for the GoodGymers. It was impossible for Mr P to do this himself. He knew that the drawer was a bit messy without knowing what had happened in it. First though, he whipped out a roll of gaffer tape and asked for help with a broken bathroom tile. Kash snipped the tape and Sevan stuck it into place until the council and it's bureaucracy would get around to a longer term fix.

With the trip hazard sorted, it was onto the drawer. Mr P asked the team to tip it all onto the bed, then they'd sort through everything and put the important items back in the drawer. With the drawer empty, Kash noticed it could do with a clean. No amount of wiping would remove the thing stuck to the bottom and Mr P couldn't remember what it was. Probably cured cosmetics. Sevan grabbed the most useful tool available, a chisel, to remove the stain. While he chipped away at it, removing glued batteries and bits of paper, Kash made a start at grouping what came out of the drawer.

Kash found:

  • Many bars of soap
  • Deodorants, balms and lavender essential oils
  • Cases for glasses (no longer useful for a blind man)
  • Hearing aids and batteries
  • Hand creams ("that's handy")
  • Extension leads
  • 3 bags of cotton balls (with some escapees)
  • A bag of hats
  • A pipe
  • His marriage certificate ("oh, that's very important!")

Each item was described to Mr P, setting the cogs in his brain whirring. Sometimes the description was enough. The feel of items reminded Mr P of what some of them were and if that didn't do it, the smells could help. Anything that was past its use by date went straight in the bin.

The feel of items sometimes reminded him of what they were, other times the smells. Anything that was past its use by date went straight in the bin.

The small task turned into an hour and 40 minutes of sorting and binning. In the end, the drawer appeared much tidier which was pleasing for Kash and Sevan. Mr P's understanding of what was in the drawer was much clearer in his mind too, which was more important to him than how well organised it looked.



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