<HTML>Today I tuned a Wurly spinet in a nursing hom= e.  I have never experienced such negativity anywhere in my brief (6 y= ears) career as a tuner.  There were about 10 patients of the nursing = home in the activity room where the piano was and as soon as I walked in and= introduced myself to the attendant, a chorus arose. "He's not going to PLAY the piano, is he?" to which the attendant would repl= y, "No, he's going to tune it."  Five minutes later, "What's he doing = at the piano?  Is he playing it?"  "No, he's tuning it."  = And as if there was a tape loop set up in the room, five minutes later, some= one else would ask, "What's he doing at the piano?  Is he playing it?"=   "Does he have to play the piano?"  "Why can't he stop?" I tuned as quietly and quickly as I could. Then they started a game of BINGO.  I'd respectfully pause as each num= ber was called, and then resume striking keys and tuning, but after every nu= mber, someone would yell out "I can't hear because of that piano!"  On= e lady threw her BINGO board on the floor and refused to play because I made= it too difficult to hear. These people in the twilight of their lives had returned to a state of child= hood, where their only concern was themselves.  I always try to do the best job I can under any circumstances, whether it be= noisy kids, barking dogs, no light, whatever...it doesn't faze me.  N= ever before have I felt like I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as= I could.  I didn't adjust the pitch, it was about 10 cents sharp.&nbs= p; I tuned it where it was; as quietly, and quickly as possible, and headed= for the door.  It probably wasn't a very stable tuning: I didn't feel= like I could really strike those hard blows without garnering more animosit= y.  They made me feel in no uncertaint terms that I was intruding. I know these people have problems much more severe than my own.  This = is not a happy time in their lives.  This post is not meant as an indi= ctment of their behavior.   Rather it is about my reaction to it.= This experience made me realize that I have gotten used to people being happ= y to see me.  I come on time, I provide a service that improves their = lives in a small way, I'm polite, and everyone comes out ahead.  Day a= fter day.  I enjoy the general pleasantry of my daily existence.  Without this nu= rsing home appointment I don't think I would have been cognizant of that, ha= ving become accustomed to it.  I went to my next appointment and met the most delightful old retired fellow= with a beautiful 1915 Steinway Louis XIV grand.  I think it was rosew= ood.  Tom Sivak</HTML>