Group therapy in a blog.
Single Woman’s Nightmare Redefined
Even if you’re not a “Sex and the City” fan, you may be aware that the quintessential single woman’s nightmare used to be “eaten by her own cats.” But today’s news eclipses that scenario and substitutes a more horrifying situation: not only dying alone in your apartment, but no one noticing you’re missing for 42 years:
Hedviga Golik made herself a cup of tea and sat down to watch some television in her hometown of Zagreb, Croatia. Sadly, she died in her chair. This was in 1966. She was just found, 42 years later, in her time capsule mausoleum where she’s been sitting ever since. She never finished her tea.
That’s some powerfully lethal tea in Croatia. But seriously, folks, this has all the marks of an urban legend, as people pointed out in the comments: no one noticed she was missing? there was no rent to pay or electric bills, or anything like that? no mail piling up? But a peripheral search of the internet revealed no listing on Snopes, and many citations of this story in the general media. So…true or false? What are your thoughts? And if this isn’t your “worst case single scenario,” then what is?
Bizarre. According to CNN, she died in her bed, probably about 35 years ago. I wonder what the real story is…That’s part of why I update my FB status so often — if I go more than a few days (or, y’know, 24 years) without updating, hopefully people will notice and check on me.
Yep, existed unnoticed though a civil war and everything, eh? There’s something really screwy about this. Are apartments so cheap in Croatia? Did she own it outright? And yes, what about services then? They were probably cut off decades ago perhaps. (We only Imagine that TV still On due to the photo-illustration). A 1966 Soviet era TV? Had Tubes. Count on it. Tubes Burn Out after a few years of constant use. (Hell, most did after just a few Months of constant use). So I say it’s possible, but the pic would have told the story. Yet strangely enough, it’s not there. And No we’ve got no idea what age she was when she died or If she was married either too! Lots of different scenario’s, but it needs confirmation of course.
So I think the ultimate single woman’s nightmare (or anyone’s for that matter) would be to grow old knowing that you’re not making much of a difference to or for anyone. And that you’ll be soon forgotten. None of which applies to present company BTW. It’s also good to hear from Marnie. I never got into FB, and I’ve not updated my official Daguerreotype since goodness knows when. Cheers & Good Luck! ‘VJ’
OK thinking about it? I’m calling BS on the story. Let’s review:
“Hedviga Golik made herself a cup of tea and sat down to watch some television in her hometown of Zagreb, Croatia. Sadly, she died in her chair. This was in 1966. She was just found, 42 years later, in her time capsule mausoleum where she’s been sitting ever since. She never finished her tea.”
I’m sorry this is Impossible to tell. Did she finish her tea? Well certainly 42 years later it would have Evaporated long since. Probably within days, if not sooner, depending on the weather. Although the Original source for the story(?) does not state this, another suspicious element to the story is that no police or investigative officials are named. The [Scottish] ‘Daily Record’ story (never heard of them BTW), seems plausible, but just barely. Of course the stench would be mostly finished in about a year. But before then in an apartment? It would have been a bit rank & fairly obvious for a few weeks certainly. Again, depending on the weather. But most places in 1966 were not as tightly sealed as they are now. So it should have been obvious. Be that as it may, I’ve not seen it cited elsewhere either. I guess we should be looking for her vintage Soviet era collectibles on E-bay about now, right? Cheers, ‘VJ’
You know, Marnie’s CNN citation makes this even more curiouser. Yes, it does (almost) cite a famed Croatian forensic specialist. Strangely enough they seem to have them spouting nonsense though.
“Experts said her windows had been open, likely diminishing the smell. It remained unclear who — if anyone — was paying her bills and who exactly owned the apartment. In the 1970s, when Golik died, apartments were state-owned.”
See, this only works ‘well’ if the apartment was almost hermetically sealed.
If the windows *were* open, and she was getting any sort of papers or news articles (even any post) from the outside, it should be fairly simple to date almost Exactly when she died! We’ve all seen the CSI drill, Forensic entomology & all. Worse, if she had any sort of news articles in the household, they would have been able to date the scene to slightly more precisely than ‘sometime in 1973′. No neighbors noted leaks from the rain or snow(!) with the windows open? No insects came to nest, no birds reside, no rats to infest, no squatters to possess? Not bloody likely! IMHO. Cheers, ‘VJ’
Chances are most of us (women at least) will die alone, even currently happily married ones. That’s not the tragedy. Far more important how you live. Moreover, upon dying, it is highly unlikely you’d even be in clear mind and conscious. Big big zechut! this is not Hollywood with old people being rushed to hospital by beloved children, children-in-law, grandchildren and loving spouse; then telling their last wishes while everyone around is fighting tears and then peacefully and majestically closing eyes once and for all. It’s not nearly as saccharine. Children are away and busy with their own families. Husband died or left years ago. And nursing home stuff has more fun things to do than to attend to your newly (or not so newly) reached vegetable state. Get more pragmatic people and stop pitying yourself.