Bedlam

Bedlam for those of you who are unaware is the corruption of the name Bethlehem which was an infamous insane asylum in Georgian England. Of course now it means any form of loud chaos as in: "It sounds like Bedlam in here. Put a sock in it!"
On Thursday I went to the nursing home to visit Mum who went out to lunch a few years ago and failed to return. She seems happy enough and likes to wallop the chap who hands out communion as I wheel her down to the Chapel for Mass. When she is not giving people a clip she mutters to herself what sound a lot like curses and makes throttling gestures. She's not too different from when she was completely with us. She is still pretty angry. However back to Bedlam.
I took my camera with me last week as I said I would send pictures of her to our Uncle Ted who is in England. He hasn't seen her since she became ill and phones often to check up on her. I was clicking away in the Chapel when one of the inmates from the psych ward rose up and began to point and scream. She was afraid of the camera and very angry about having her picture taken. It was sort of a domino effect. All it took was for one to start then they were all at it with whatever display of distress that they have. The noise was incredible! I backed off with the offending camera to find that the gal who had started the ruckus was now to my rear and shouting to anyone who cared that I was here to murder my Mother!
Off to the races again! The poor minders, of whom there are few, had a very tumultuous hour. We got on with the service and to my relief my stalker was led away still shouting the odds. There was lingering agitation but the noise level had dropped. I think there is a special place in Heaven for people who care for these lost souls. I wouldn't last five minutes!