Indiginities

I met with Diamond Jim, Diamond Jim Junior and Mrs. Junior Saturday afternoon. You see, Diamond Jim is at a point in his life where he needs to live somewhere else. The place that has been selected is an assisted living center in Mesa. Diamond Jim has been pretty stoic about the entire thing, but I can tell he is upset.

The fact of the matter is, Diamond Jim is fading fast. It pains me to say so. This past week alone, he was certain I am driving his car. Then this same car he told me was at the dealership being worked on. The truth is Diamond Jim totaled his car months ago. Diamond Jim is also not paying his bills any more. (Which was my tattletale to his son this week). I don't think he is eating well. Marty (who tagged along) saw six or seven Snicker's bars sitting next to Diamond Jim's chair. Sadly, he won't go to the doctor, so there is no "official" diagnosis of dementia or other memory issues.

Anyway, Junior was in town this weekend to help convince his father other arrangements must be made. And this involves me. The truth is, Diamond Jim, though I adore him, has been the absolute worst client I ever had. Twice. In fact, the way I got to know Junior, was because the first time I was selling his house, Diamond Jim refused to sign the closing documents. Then he refused to move. I won't even tell you about the second time he was my client, other than to say, I told him he was NEVER moving because I was not going through that again. EVER! And I meant it. I even told Junior this.

But, Diamond Jim is moving. This time Junior has a power of attorney. I would have insisted, except we were able to convince Diamond Jim a power of attorney was a grand idea. Saturday, I brought the necessary real estate documents over for Junior to sign. So, while Marty and Mrs. Junior were busy packing, Junior and I were going through the small rain forest of paperwork (including my new wire fraud advisory).

At this time, the home is not going up for sale just yet. I can't have people going through the place with Diamond Jim living there. For one reason, it is very likely he will forget his home is for sale. Also, he may not want to leave when prospective buyers show up and he may say things that could jeopardize his sale. Actually, I guarantee he won't leave--even if I personally paid for an Uber to drive him around the block. From what I understand, the apartment Diamond Jim is moving into won't be ready for another month. In the meantime, there is a plan in place for him to go visit his daughter on the East Coast until the place is ready.

The worst part of Saturday was to see how visibly upset Diamond Jim was. He knows he is having trouble. He is losing his freedom. He is losing his mental faculties. That must be so frightening. He watched Junior and I go through the paperwork, making decisions for his future. I involved him as much as possible, hoping to preserve Diamond Jim's dignity. Because he still has that. And I want him to keep it as long as possible.