Carol was in her early twenties when she arrived in New York City, suitcase in hand. Now, at 93 years old, she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. “When you come from a small town, New York is a good place to learn life,” she says.
The oldest of three children, Carol was born and raised in a logging town in Oregon. After graduating high school, she headed to San Francisco to attend modeling school. Carol had always been told she was pretty. She was tall, too, something that photographers looked for. She moved around the country before eventually settling in New York.
Carol got a day job as an executive assistant but modeled on the side. By day, Carol worked as an executive assistant, but she came alive in front of the camera. Her evenings were spent with friends, going out to dinner and taking advantage of the city's excitement. She misses those days. “I’ve lost a lot of friends,” she says. “They’ve passed away or live in nursing homes.”
Carol has called Turtle Bay home for 40 years. “I know this apartment well,” she says, “I’d be lost somewhere else.” A few years ago, Carol’s eyesight started to fail due to macular degeneration. She’s now legally blind, only able to make out light and vague shapes. Luckily, she can still navigate her home’s familiar layout with her walker. It’s leaving the apartment that’s difficult. “I’m stuck here,” says Carol.
I know this apartment well. I'd be lost somewhere else. I'm stuck here.
Most weekdays a home health aide stops by in the mornings. When the weather is nice, she takes Carol to the park in a wheelchair. She also helps her do laundry, bathe and complete other tasks she can no longer do herself. Like many aides, food preparation is not in the scope of her duties.
That’s where Citymeals comes in. Carol has been receiving home-delivered meals for the last three years. “It’s nice to have the help,” she says. “They’re easy to eat.” And while aging is hard, Carol has a few tricks. For wrinkles, she swears by aloe vera lotion. But it’s also important to have a good attitude. As she says, “Stay positive — with or without lotion.”
