Otis and Wally

A story of friendship.

Sunnyvale Assisted Living Center in Santa Monica, California, is only about a mile from  the ocean, but for those who call Sunnyvale home, it might as well be thousand miles. The center operates with a small city subsidy and private donations. Many of its residents led difficult lives in the city and never saw the ocean.

Otis Campbell moved into Sunnyvale when he was in his fifties. Early in his life he had alcohol problems and difficulty holding a job. The little family he had basically disowned him. One late morning the staff found him passed out on the steps grasping a bottle wrapped in a paper bag. Fortunately, as the years rolled by, Otis enjoyed a sober life.

Wally Daniels worked hard throughout his life, but later in life he lost his eyesight to diabetes. He had no local family and his only option was to ask for assistance from the state. He was very happy to live at Sunnyvale.

When Otis and Wally met they became fast friends. Their rooms were just down the hall from each other, and they spent much of the day together. They played checkers in the morning and bingo in the afternoon. Otis played his and Wally’s bingo card. Wally was there for moral support. The two talked often of life. They shared many stories. One day while sitting out on the front porch, they asked each other what they wished they could have done in life:

“I wish I had gone to see the pyramids in Egypt. What’s yours, Wally?” said Otis.

“Well, mine is nothing like yours. I know I can’t see the ocean, but I’ve always wanted to walk the beach, smell the salt air, and feel and hear the ocean. I’ve only seen the ocean on TV years ago before I became blind.”

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