Peta Murray and David Carlin set out to matchmake their ageing parents. They ended up facing their own advancing age, determined to make it a time of flowering, not retreat
It was the perfect plan. Writers Peta Murray and David Carlin would introduce their elderly parents, who lived at the same aged care centre, so that they, too, could become firm friends. Murray’s father, Frank, and Carlin’s mother, Joan, both loved reading. Maybe Frank would want to share Joan’s copy of the Guardian Weekly? They could enjoy a game of bridge, Scrabble or bocce. Was it too late for romance?
This was a fantasy, but fantasies are what aged care marketing materials are made of, aimed squarely at easing the guilt of families. However, upon introductions, Frank and Joan ignored each other. Frank retired to his room.