Tags
Cedarcrest Sanctum, elderly, Independence, Independence Day, Janiss Connelly, rest homes, Vampire Verisimilitude
There’s only so much one Vampire can do.
This weekend, Americans will be drinking alcohol, eating grilled food, and trying not to blow their fingers off with fireworks. That’s easy when you can go to the store, buy what you want, and come home to celebrate with friends and family.
But what if you can’t? West Virginia is full of rest homes, both assisted and non-assisted (I’m not including hospice, which is an entirely different thing). Myself and a few volunteers have recently been paying these places a visit, looking for and and all discrepancies, opportunities for improvement, but mostly abusers and people who shouldn’t be working there — a bit of a pet peeve of mine.
People underestimate their independence and how quickly they can lose it. But for the elderly, there is a sense of being useless, like pets that need cared for. No one wants that. No one likes to feels they can’t do what they want when they want to, and I’m not only talking about growing old.
When I needed blood and a safe place to rest for the daytime — all of which was a bit of a shock when it happened — I had to depend on others (and still do) and I’ll always be grateful to have them. Vampirism aside, there are far too many other debilitating diseases that exist which can take away one’s mind, mobility, or worse. You won’t know what you’ve lost until it’s gone.
Independence.
Don’t take it for granted; you can lose it in an instant. If you care for someone, help them help themselves; let them do as much as they are able and willing.
As far as the secret visits to other rest homes? I’ll post one or two of these encounters in the future. You won’t want to miss those.
Happy Independence Day, everyone.
~ Janiss
Email janiss.connelly@cedarcrestsanctum.com
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No, it’s not mind-altering or earth-shattering, but there it is. A firm handshake simply isn’t a full-body catch-and-release embrace. Hugs are more intimate and more empathetic; they offer trust and earn trust in return. There’s even brain chemistry science behind it, such as in 
It’s true that a victim won’t fall immediately unconscious, but you’re neglecting the amount of blood a vampire needs to survive and how frequently they need it. Single pints (standard units of blood) are donated all the time at the Red Cross with few ever passing out; would it surprise you to know that a Vampire can subsist on as little as this each night? Sure, they may be a bit irritable and need much more if they’re healing from a grievous wound, but it’s enough. Ideally, three pints are more than adequate — three meals a night, if you prefer — and no one needs to die. If a Vampire chooses to feed once and get on with their evening, a victim could still survive this even if they pass out (and they certainly would).
Playing down the romantic angle for a moment, Vampires can mesmerize their victims. You knew that, right? What may look like willing submission doesn’t have to be, but a smart Vampire will find willing donors they can come back to. Bodies stacking up can be a problem, and anyone who watches “Forensic Files” knows how hard it is to disappear bodies in many places. Why bother? It’s not laziness, it’s efficiency.
Having shot down the “zombie theory” that being bitten turns a victim every time, this also kills the grade-school penny-doubling math-calc that wipes out the human race in thirty-four months. To be fair, Daybreakers was a fun movie about exactly that scenario (all except for the hilarious “cure” part), but the other factor missing is Vampires actively destroying one another competing for that blood bank. Did you think being turned made you instant friends? Nope, because Vampire are alpha predators, not pack-loving werewolves. In the same way killing off your food supply is bad for business, allowing other Vampires to roam your fiefdom is a signal to all that you’re either foolish or vulnerable.
None of our residents have parents still living, and while many hold out hope that their sons or daughters might call, this usually isn’t the case. We’ll be doing something for all of them later this evening — as we do every year.
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“Penny Dreadful” – I was hooked from the very first season. It’s actually refreshing all of the Vampires are bad guys (read: “True Blood” got silly), but Ethan Chandler played by Josh Hartnett makes me wish werewolves were real…and that I could have 
“Supernatural” – The Winchester brothers and Castiel. I’m good.
“iZombie” – If I only had one show to watch forever and ever, this is my go-to choice addiction right now. I need a girlfriend like Rose McIver in my life, but for now I enjoy thinking of Liv Moore as a shadowy reflection for myself. I also love Ravi, Blaine (in spite of himself), and Clive. Any episode of this program will have you laughing, crying, and thrilled at the same time. I even forgive all the Vampire tropes they stole to make zombies cool again.
You only live once; there’s no time like the present; don’t put off until tomorrow what you can blah, blah, blah.
But that’s not magic, you say. And no, I’m not saying you should run out and start shoving every extra dollar into a collection plate or handing out money to the homeless. Yes, you can do those things, but what I’m referring to is the power of making that choice: you make this happen as an act of sheer will.
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