a child's view of retirement

After Christmas break a teacher asked her small pupils how they spent the holiday. One small boy's reply went like this:

"We always spend Christmas with Grandpa and Grandma. They used to live up here in a big house, but Grandpa got retarded and they moved to Arizona.

They live in a place with a lot of retarded people. They live in tin huts. They ride three wheel tricycles. They go to a big building they call the wrecked hall, but if it is a wrecked hall, it is all fixed.

They play games there and do exercises, but they don't do them very good. There is a swimming pool and they go to it and just stand there in the water with their hats on. I guess they don't know how to swim any more.

My Grandma used to bake cookies and stuff, but I guess she forgot how. Nobody cooks...they all go to fast food restaurants.

As you come in the park, there is a doll house with a man sitting in it. He watches all day so they can't get out without him seeing them. They wear badges with their names on them. I guess they don't know who they are.

My Grandma says Grandpa worked hard all his life and earned his retardment. I wish they would move back home but I guess the man in the doll house won't let them out."

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