Fucking hell, i like this job i've gotten (basically advert/newspaper deliverer) less and less the more i think about it. Ideally i shouldn't be thinking about it, but eugh. Now, if i could reasonably avoid most awkward social contact, it'd be tolerable, but as i have mentioned before, one of my routes includes two nursing homes(?) for the elderly. I mean, the worst i've had to deal with so far is some old lady SCREAMING for help in an apartment next to the one i was delivering to (according to the personnel, she does that often, but it's still kind of distressing), but i've really not taken this rock bottom job for the sake of being social. It's not that i disrespect the elderly, far from it, it's just that many of the residents there are... Affected by their age, with some of them probably being afflicted by dementia (at least judging by one lady with tremor and more than one apartment reeking of piss). The fact that they keep their will to live despite the ravages of time is admirable, but i can't help feeling a bit sad for them. They were all as young as me once, and probably healthier too, but now? Well, stark reminder of how life ultimately goes. I really hope i won't ever have to experience someone dying in there.
But, thankfully, the old people mostly keep to themselves. I always try to be friendly and approachable, but the fact of the matter is that i'm very uncomfortable with unsolicted social contact, especially when i don't know how to handle it. Talking to people of similar age and mindset to myself is one thing (i'm starting to get the hang of that, at least), but confused old people? I have no idea. On top of that, due to my deep voice and fast speech, it's hard to make myself understandable to those who are hard of hearing.
I don't know, i might be reading too much into the whole thing; maybe the elderly are happy there? I sure hope so. Thankfully my second route has no such foibles, but i still look forward to quitting, because this is horribly underpaid anyways. >.>