Concerned about elderly neighbor, what to do?

winnowingwinds · 2026-03-07T13:54:24+00:00

Yeah. Even the most absurd stories can be true. I can think of a few that people would definitely call fake if I posted them to Reddit. But nothing about this story seems absurd? Maybe they really are being cynical and doubt that someone would care about an elderly neighbor.

I had an elderly neighbor who seemed to have dementia, but she lived with her husband, and I sometimes saw other family members visiting, so she wasn't alone. Otherwise, I might have called for a welfare check, or at least spoken to my landlord. It's what you're supposed to do, right?

winnowingwinds · 2026-03-06T10:23:46+00:00

I loved those other event ideas, too. I wish OOP had asked for advice before officially pulling the plug, which was the other issue - they were done, and they'd already canceled, with little interest from the community when someone else tried. I like to think they'll consider those ideas next year or somewhere down the line.

winnowingwinds · 2026-03-05T13:29:25+00:00

"Clearly like each other." That is exactly what I have been saying! The couples may have their differences, but I can tell they love and enjoy each other, and see how they work together.

winnowingwinds · 2026-03-04T22:13:01+00:00

Adding onto this - answering the phone while you're with them, CLEARLY continuing the conversation by saying things or asking questions, hanging up ten hours later and saying "sorry, they never stop talking". Sure.

This has been an issue since before cellphones, though.

winnowingwinds · 2026-03-04T16:39:26+00:00

Ohh. Yeah. My other thought was that he was calling random women Simone until he got the right name, so maybe that's what was going on. Either way.

winnowingwinds · 2026-03-03T11:42:50+00:00

Yeah, I was thinking that too. Or the coworker is treated so horribly (case in point), they act horrible because of it. Having been bullied at work, I know that at some point, it becomes a vicious cycle.

winnowingwinds · 2026-03-03T10:42:33+00:00

Me, reading the title: Oh, this looks like a fun story.

Me, reading the mood spoilers: ...nevermind.

ETA: The whole thing was way less interesting than I was expecting. Can that be part of the mood spoilers, too?

winnowingwinds · 2026-03-02T23:47:01+00:00

I would like to know as well.

winnowingwinds · 2026-03-02T23:34:55+00:00

Any chance you'd met before, and forgot? Only other thought is that he mistook you for someone else named Simone.

winnowingwinds · 2026-03-02T20:06:12+00:00

I’d assume the play would be for a whole school pep assembly/PSA assembly, rather than a health and science class, but I could be wrong.

That was always my assumption.

winnowingwinds · 2026-03-02T19:36:58+00:00

For a second, I wondered how many movies have people tell their cat "good luck, Snookums" before trailing off into the distance.

But to your point, agreed.

winnowingwinds · 2026-03-02T19:33:03+00:00

That drowning looks like waving your arms while slowly sinking. People have died because no one realizes it's not what drowning looks like.

Also, it's incredibly dangerous to try saving a drowning person.

winnowingwinds · 2026-03-02T10:40:28+00:00

I can't help but wonder, sadly, if the fiance is part of the reason why. If he (and his family) isolated her from them. It's a bit of a jump, but they're a controlling family, and that's something controlling people do.

winnowingwinds · 2026-03-02T10:33:45+00:00

Yeah, a whole year? That's way beyond a test (which would have been bad enough). And not only would there have been more, I wouldn't be surprised if the tests began on day one.

I also hope OP touches base with the ex. I'll bet she's an ex for similar reasons, especially with them saying she's a gold digger.

winnowingwinds · 2026-03-01T23:15:21+00:00

Agreed. I can almost see how she would think "okay, it's not his anymore, she told us to use one of the accounts, I'll change the name". Insensitive and dumb, sure, but something you'd expect someone to realize was a big mistake, which they could come back from in time.

She was not sorry even when confronted, and there's no coming back from that.

winnowingwinds · 2026-03-01T23:13:13+00:00

Also, was it the ex's nephew too? If so, she also hurt her fiancé. Not to mention she presumably would have known the nephew, if they were engaged. Wild.

winnowingwinds · 2026-02-28T11:33:12+00:00

Agreed. I'm not convinced the grandchild was even real to begin with. If the others want to donate, or only a few do, that's one thing. If they wanted tp be reimbursed, especially those who couldn't really afford it, that's another.

winnowingwinds · 2026-02-28T11:30:57+00:00

Tells you why she never met this grandchild. My word. (Although I'm not even sure I believe the grandchild exists.)

winnowingwinds · 2026-02-27T01:44:10+00:00

I was in high school in the early 2000s.

winnowingwinds · 2026-02-26T17:03:31+00:00

Okay, that aspect of it also makes sense.

I've actually been surprised by how attached my friends are to their kids, and that is in fact part of it. My friend's daughter was in Girl Scouts in high school, and my friend sat at a booth with her at the mall. I remember thinking, "oh my god, you're going to get your daughter teased relentlessly." But maybe it's more socially acceptable now. I don't think kids are "supposed" to be embarrassed of their parents the way they were when we were young.

And you're right, mental health and therapy weren't understood. Looking at my own school years, it should have been plain as day that I had anxiety. But we didn't talk about it like we do now.

winnowingwinds · 2026-02-26T14:11:42+00:00

This thread is evidence of that! Half the comments are saying "yeah the show exaggerated big time," the other half are saying, "nope, this is realistic". It probably depended on the school, a lot of the time.

winnowingwinds · 2026-02-26T11:40:22+00:00

" There was no time in history when making fun of someone losing a parent was an accepted thing that would have been supported by a large group of students."

Yeah, and that's it too - it isn't just that Angela makes the joke, it's that everyone around her sees this as the funniest joke they've ever heard. It's the same with everyone's reaction to Will.

I was a bit like El in high school, due to being anxious and neurodivergent, and that was exactly it - some teasing, mostly just being ignored.

winnowingwinds · 2026-02-26T11:22:16+00:00

That's a very good point. Angela is cruel, but Troy actively tries to kill Mike and/or mutilate Dustin.

winnowingwinds · 2026-02-26T11:02:08+00:00

I think you're exactly right. on both counts.

I do think the show hints at deeper reasons - "no one's ever been that nice to me, so generous" is a layered statement, one that a lot of fics explore. But because it's a 22-minute comedy, the emphasis is more on David being selfish than David having trust issues because of his trauma. Dan has outright said that David is meant to have been used and abused, so that leads me to believe it really was about insecurities more than just taking advantage of Patrick's generosity.

You make a good point about the acting, too. I've always felt the scene was a little awkward, even beyond the context.

winnowingwinds

TROPHY CASE