Good Luck Mr. Denture!

Alright, so for the summer I'm working as a Summer Events Coordinator for 2 radio stations, CKMW and The Eagle. My job entails me to go out and about to different events and fairs throughout the Pembina Valley and give away free water and seeds and take entries to my free draw and do live reports on-air. I have the "opportunity" to meet all sorts of people. Now, I meet some really nice people that make the job worth it where I can have some friendly conversations (my small talk is impecable already...I seem to use the same lines over and over and over....). However, I learned something else about my job that wasn't in the job description: I'm a therapist?! Let me tell you about Mr. Denture....

I was at a Farmers Market. So I'm standing there, doing my thing, and this man, oh late 60's early 70's (old enough to wear dentures, hence the name "Mr. Denture") comes up. I say my usual thing about entering my draw, and "help yourself to some free Spitz and water." "Oh no, I don't eat seeds, they get caught in my dentures you see..." was his response. So he starts talking about the conflict of dentures verses seeds. Riviting. He starts talking about how he can't buy anything here. If he had a wife, she would buy things, he says. Nonchalantly he adds that she left him for her boyfriend. Ah-what? He proceeds to ask me if I'm news. Do we get a lot in the news about abuse? He proceeds to name all the sorts of abuse: "Ya know, some men beat their wives? They slap them, punch them, kick them, call them names, rape them..." My response? I simply state that some women do it to their husbands too. Pfft, what the heck am I supposed to say? He goes on to say how embarrassing this is (what he's about to tell me), that he's had women in his life and they've all left him. And he says, "and I didn't abuse any of 'em." This, yes this, is where I begin to start looking around, is anyone else seeing this??? He starts tearing up with a quivery voice! I tell him it's not too late to keep looking for a woman. He says, no, he's given up thinking he's not worth it. I tell him that's foolish, he should never think he's not worth it. He continues to tell me about all the land he owns and his 3 cars and his 4 bedroom house. Again, I say it's not too late to find a lady friend. Again, he's not worth it. Well, you don't need a woman to be happy! I say. But it sure does get lonely... Well, Mr. Denture, get yourself some bachelor friends! I don't have many friends... Get some! Get yourself out there! Stay positive! I don't really remember much after that, he slowly walked away after telling me he told our city mayor to get off his property....

To say the least, it was quite the experience. I thought about making an excuse to get him to leave me alone, but my little self told me, this guy just needed someone to talk to.

Good luck Mr. Denture!