Where's My Seat?

This has been on my mind for awhile. It's bothered me but I haven't had the words to write about it.

As you know, I pass the retirement home up the street from me on our daily walk.

On many occassion, I've noticed that in their dining room they have name tags that dedicate one seat to one person at a particular table setting. Why do they need name tags to dictate where they sit?

Is this a carry over from when you're young?...the ~cool~ lunch table...the ~cool~ seats on the back of the bus? I mean..is there an ~in~ table at the retirement home?

Come to think of it..maybe it's to help keep track of particular diets. Mrs. Smith can't have salt. Mr. Jones can't have sugar. You think?

I'm bothered that they have name tags.

If it is because of particular diets, is it such an impersonal place that the workers can't know a resident by face? so much so that they need to have name tags?

Or maybe it's because particular residents don't get along well so they put name tags down to keep them from sitting at the same table...a sort of keeping the peace so no brawls break out?

But even then, you'd think in their ripe age they'd manage to either keep their own distance or have learned how to play nice by now.

I mean really, why the name tags? I feel like going in there and scooping them all up.