I’ve been here more than 60 years. Where am I going to go?

A few weeks back, Wade tripped and fell on his way from the bedroom to the kitchen. “I wasn’t paying attention to where I was walking,” says the 89-year-old. He hit his head, which left him with a cut and some bruising, but he’s on the mend. This lack of balance, coupled with arthritis, makes it difficult for Wade to get around. “I don’t go out as much as I used to,” he says.   

As a young man, Wade worked as a printer in a small shop in Long Island City. They printed all sorts of things — signs, banners, magazines. “Commercial stuff, mostly,” he says. In the evenings, he worked part-time as a taxi driver. It was a job that taught him the ins and outs of the city. This was before GPS, so Wade needed to know where he was going. “Wherever they wanted to go,” says Wade. “I’d take them.” 

Wade has lived in the same apartment in Harlem with his wife since 1967. “When I moved here,” he says, “this building wasn’t even finished.” Over time, his wife’s vision has gotten worse. Now, she’s almost completely blind and Wade is her primary caregiver. “She wants to be here with me,” he says, not in assisted living. It helps that she has the layout of their home memorized, so she can get around without his help.  

It’s one of the many reasons he couldn’t imagine leaving their home. “I’ve been here more than 60 years.” says Wade. “Where am I going to go?” 

Without Citymeals, the couple wouldn’t be able to continue living on their own. Neither of them can cook, something Wade once loved to do. “Anything I wanted, I’d whip it up,” he says. But the arthritis also affects his hands, making it painful to grip a knife or prepare food. “It’s been so long since I cooked,” he says. Thankfully, with the home-delivered meals they receive, they don’t have to.   

When it comes to aging, Wade admits that it can be hard. He didn’t expect to live this long. If he had, he would have saved more money. “But I hope I keep getting older,” he says. “As long as I’m in pretty good health, I don’t mind it.”