Monday 14 October 2013
The Dementia Diary: Stuffing
The Dementia Diary: Stuffing: I can remember last Thanksgiving very vividly. It was the start of a journey with my mom. It was the day that I decided I would be by my m...
Stuffing
I can remember last Thanksgiving very vividly. It was the start of a journey with my mom. It was the day that I decided I would be by my mother until her time came. It was the day I realized that mom wasn't going to be around much longer. It was the day that I started feeding my mother like she was a child. It was the day the journey started. It was the beginning of the end, or so I thought. My own life was in shambles. I was a 40 something woman now living in the basement of her father's house and my mother was slowly dieing right in front of my eyes. I was bitter and resentful and I didn't think there was fuck all to be thankful for. I was wrong. I was sooooooo wrong as I have so many things to be thankful for.
I am very thankful for friends, old and new. Coming back home and seeing so many familiar faces brought a happiness back into my life that was very much needed. The phonecalls, the emails, the coffee's at Starbucks and the support of my friends helped me to make it through a very difficult time without completely falling apart. Thank you to my tribe. I am also thankful for the many new friends that came into my life, although some very briefly. We shared a commonality that only the loved ones of a person with dementia know and because of that we bonded very intimately and very quickly. We shared laughter, we shared advice, we shared secrets, we shared tears and we shared pain, a lot of pain. The pain of losing a person to dementia is different from anything else because you lose them twice. You lose them once to the dementia as the pieces of the person they once were slowly disappear and then you lose them again when their body finally decides to go. That pain can take a caregiver to very dark and dank places. Without the love and understanding of the friends I made over the past year I would have gotten lost in that darkness and their light led the way. Thank you all from the top and the bottom of my heart.
I am very thankful for family. My kids have been rock solid through all of this. I really tried to shield them from the reality but you can't. I thought they would fall apart when they saw just how sick their grandmother was, but they didn't. Instead my wonderful kids faced the shit life was giving them with love and compassion. It was my kids that showed me how my bitterness and hatred of the situation wasn't helping anybody and it wasn't helping mom so I turned it around and life seemed that much better. The shit still smelled like shit but I didn't have to step in it. Of course I am thankful for my extended family too who went out of their way to make sure that not only was mom not forgotten but that dad and I weren't either. A lunch date and many tearful phone calls were had during the past year and every one of them lessened the burden that I was feeling. I'm thankful for my dad. When I moved home I expected it to be a nightmare and instead it was a dream come true. I was fortunate to see facets of my father that I didn't know existed. I realized just how patient, loving and wise my father is and how very funny he is too. Most importantly I learned just how strong the roots of my family tree are and how the branches will bend but they will not break.
Finally, I am thankful for the time. I've spent a third of the time in my life trying to please my mom. I've spent a third of the time in my life hating my mom. I've spent another third of the time in my life avoiding my mom. So, I am today so very thankful that I got to spend 11 months of my life caring for my mom. That time with my mom helped to heal a lot of pain. That time together helped me to remember all the good times with my mom and made me literally forget the bad. That time together helped me to relive some of the wonderful experiences we shared and create new ones. That time together helped to even re-write some of the history because mom would go back to moments of her past with me and together we changed the endings. Most importantly that time together made me realize that she was a wonderful, loving and caring woman and that she loved me and I loved her, I really loved her.
I am allergic to celery. Yes, it's 98% water but whatever the other 2% is, I'm deathly allergic. Because of the allergy mom had to modify the traditional turkey stuffing recipe to accomodate me and she did so lovingly. Besides the pies, mom's stuffing ruled. Here's the recipe. Happy Thanksgiving from mom and me.
I am very thankful for friends, old and new. Coming back home and seeing so many familiar faces brought a happiness back into my life that was very much needed. The phonecalls, the emails, the coffee's at Starbucks and the support of my friends helped me to make it through a very difficult time without completely falling apart. Thank you to my tribe. I am also thankful for the many new friends that came into my life, although some very briefly. We shared a commonality that only the loved ones of a person with dementia know and because of that we bonded very intimately and very quickly. We shared laughter, we shared advice, we shared secrets, we shared tears and we shared pain, a lot of pain. The pain of losing a person to dementia is different from anything else because you lose them twice. You lose them once to the dementia as the pieces of the person they once were slowly disappear and then you lose them again when their body finally decides to go. That pain can take a caregiver to very dark and dank places. Without the love and understanding of the friends I made over the past year I would have gotten lost in that darkness and their light led the way. Thank you all from the top and the bottom of my heart.
I am very thankful for family. My kids have been rock solid through all of this. I really tried to shield them from the reality but you can't. I thought they would fall apart when they saw just how sick their grandmother was, but they didn't. Instead my wonderful kids faced the shit life was giving them with love and compassion. It was my kids that showed me how my bitterness and hatred of the situation wasn't helping anybody and it wasn't helping mom so I turned it around and life seemed that much better. The shit still smelled like shit but I didn't have to step in it. Of course I am thankful for my extended family too who went out of their way to make sure that not only was mom not forgotten but that dad and I weren't either. A lunch date and many tearful phone calls were had during the past year and every one of them lessened the burden that I was feeling. I'm thankful for my dad. When I moved home I expected it to be a nightmare and instead it was a dream come true. I was fortunate to see facets of my father that I didn't know existed. I realized just how patient, loving and wise my father is and how very funny he is too. Most importantly I learned just how strong the roots of my family tree are and how the branches will bend but they will not break.
Finally, I am thankful for the time. I've spent a third of the time in my life trying to please my mom. I've spent a third of the time in my life hating my mom. I've spent another third of the time in my life avoiding my mom. So, I am today so very thankful that I got to spend 11 months of my life caring for my mom. That time with my mom helped to heal a lot of pain. That time together helped me to remember all the good times with my mom and made me literally forget the bad. That time together helped me to relive some of the wonderful experiences we shared and create new ones. That time together helped to even re-write some of the history because mom would go back to moments of her past with me and together we changed the endings. Most importantly that time together made me realize that she was a wonderful, loving and caring woman and that she loved me and I loved her, I really loved her.
I am allergic to celery. Yes, it's 98% water but whatever the other 2% is, I'm deathly allergic. Because of the allergy mom had to modify the traditional turkey stuffing recipe to accomodate me and she did so lovingly. Besides the pies, mom's stuffing ruled. Here's the recipe. Happy Thanksgiving from mom and me.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound spicy pork bulk sausage
- 1 cup diced white onion
- 2 cups diced Macintosh apple
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 cups bread cubes
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
- 3 large eggs, beaten to blend
Preparation
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage; sauté until cooked through and brown, breaking into pieces with spoon, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl. Add next ingredients to drippings in skillet. Sauté over medium heat until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Add mixture to sausage. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Reheat to lukewarm before continuing.)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Add bread to sausage mixture. Whisk milk, broth, and butter in bowl to blend. Mix into stuffing; season stuffing with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs; transfer to prepared dish. Bake uncovered until cooked through and brown, about 50 minutes.
Wednesday 7 August 2013
The time has come.
Elaine Mary Remesoff (Obrigewitsch) was born on May 14,
1936 on the farm near Vibank,
Saskatchewan. She grew up on the
prairies of Saskatchewan. Elaine spent
her childhood both enduring the hardship and enjoying the bounties of farm life
and community. In 1958 she married James
Arthurs and together they had two sons, Douglas and David. Elaine and Jim lived in both Alberta and
Saskatchewan before later divorcing.
Being a single mother, Elaine went back to her roots in
Saskatchewan and returned to school to
get a better education. There she met
Peter Remesoff and in 1968 they were married and later that year had their
daughter, Lisa. Eventually Elaine and
Peter moved the family to Canmore, Alberta where they resided for over 30 years.
Elaine enjoyed many things in her life. She loved to curl, watch baseball and the
Saskatchewan Roughriders. She was a talented seamstress who also
enjoying knitting and was well known for her incredible pie making. Elaine travelled a lot having seen many parts
of Europe, South East Asia, Australia and Central America. She loved her family, she loved her children
and she loved doting on her grandchildren.
She retired from Canada Cement Lafarge in 1998 after 25 years of
employment and eventually her and Peter left the mountain community they loved,
settling in Cochrane, Alberta in 2008.
Elaine was predeceased by her father Jakob Obrigewitsch, step-father Harry Reinhardt and
her mother Agnes Reinhardt (Deck) She
was also predeceased by her older brother
Gerald Obrigewitsch, her younger sister Jacqueline Cross (Obrigewitsch) and her
nephew Lyndon Cross.
She is survived by her devoted husband of 45 years, Peter
Remesoff , her sons Douglas Arthurs, David (Sandra) Arthurs and daughter Lisa
Remesoff as well as her grandchildren Danielle Arthurs, Shayne Arthurs, Dylan
Bardwell and Ryley Sadorsky. Her
brothers Eugene Obrigewitsch and Reg (Clara) Reinhardt are also left mourning
her as are many nephews, nieces,
grand-nephews, a grand-niece and numerous dear friends in Saskatchewan and
Alberta.
A celebration of Elaine’s life will take place at Our
Lady of the Rockies Church, 810-7th Street, Canmore, Alberta on
August 12, 2013 at 11:00 am.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be
made in Elaine’s name to the Bethany Care Centre, Cochrane, Alberta. Funeral arrangements by Bow Valley Funeral
Service, Canmore, Alberta.
Saturday 27 July 2013
The Dementia Diary: The Dementia Diary: I don't wanna grow up
The Dementia Diary: The Dementia Diary: I don't wanna grow up: The Dementia Diary: I don't wanna grow up : I recently read a story about the world's oldest man. He is 116 years old and he is the...
What's in a word
I'm sure many have noticed that for nearly two months I have not posted on the blog. The reason is simple. My mom asked me not to. Mom has never read the blog and until it was brought to her attention, knew nothing of the blog. She has been led to believe that it contains nasty lies about her and of course, any one who has read it, knows that is far from the truth. So, I will focus the blog less on mom and more on dementia and everything associated with it.
I think one of the reasons mom hates the blog is because it uses the word dementia and she has grown to hate that word. Dementia is a Latin word from de- "without" + ment, the root of mens "mind and it means madness. Close your eyes and say the word out loud. What image comes to mind. I'm sure it is similar to what comes to my mind. I see a dishevelled person in a straight jacket banging their head against the wall of a padded room. That image creates a stigma and a big misunderstanding of what dementia in our modern world actually means. The word is off set when combined with others and sounds more medical. Close your eyes again and say Frontal Lobe dementia or Lewy Body dementia and what image comes to mind. If you are like me, than your mind stays blank because we haven't been conditioned to associate anything with those terms. That is what needs to change. People need to understand what dementia actually is. I hope to do that.
More than half the world still believes that dementia is a normal part of ageing. It isn't, far from it. I know many people in their eighties and even nineties who are as quick and on the ball cognitively as I am, even more so. They move a little slower and might even use a walker. Their bones are weaker. They might be a little incontinent and use Depends. They might have some age on-set diabetes or a bit of a problem with high blood pressure and need some medication. They might forget a person's birthday occasionally or misplace the TV remote, but don't we all, at any age. They still enjoy playing bridge or crib. They read, watch TV, gossip over coffee and complain about the state of affairs in the world. They still engage in normal everyday life. Normal ageing causes atrophy of the brain. However, overall cognitive functioning can remain unaffected as people age. The brain may become less efficient, but still be able to do the job. This is normal ageing and there in no dementia involved, their minds are essentially intact.
Dementia isn't a disease. It's a syndrome meaning that is has a set of signs and symptoms. The symptoms involve the cognitive functions of memory, attention, language and problem solving. Dementia is characterized by a progressive impairment of memory and intellectual function that is severe enough to interfere with social and work skills. Memory, orientation, abstraction, ability to learn, visual-spatial perception, and higher executive functions such as planning, organizing and sequencing may also be impaired. Dementia can be rapid progressing or slow in it's progression. Regardless, plaque building up on portions of the brain and atrophy of the neurons and white matter of the brain eventually causes physical symptoms as organs of the body lose the ability to function properly.
There are over 200 types and sub-types of dementia. Some types are completely genetic like Huntington's disease. Frontal lobe dementia and Alzheimer's can be inherited and it was just recently that the mutated gene for these types was finally identified. There are 11 inherited diseases that will cause dementia. Diseases like Krabbe disease and Urea cycle diseases. There are types of dementia like Wernicke's syndrome and Dementia pugilistic and when the causes of the dementia, in these cases alcohol and repeated brain trauma stop, the progression of the disease stops too. There are 'organic' types of dementia where secondary diseases cause the dementia. Diseases like syphilis, hypertension and vascular diseases will cause dementia if not properly treated. There are chemically induced types of dementia in which damage to the brain is caused by exposure to certain types of prescribed medications including anti-convulsive drugs and chemotherapy drugs. Methamphetamine use and even a one time exposure to anaesthetics can induce dementia also. In these cases some of the symptoms can and sometimes be reversible but the initial damage to the brain tissue and white matter are not and often over time, dementia may develop.
Geriatric medicine is still new in the world of medicine and only a handful of universities and medical schools in North America offer this type of specialization. Sadly, dementia was first seen in 1907 but not studied again until 1976. It's a shame that all those years that could have been spent on research and development were wasted. Regardless, I have faith that things will improve for everyone. For improvements to be seen we have to educate ourselves and become aware of this absolutely insidious illness and most importantly we need to prepare ourselves and our families.
The University of Calgary is one of the medical schools that does offer a geriatric medicine specialization program. Recently the department held an on-line seminar on dementia. Dr. Holroyd-Leduc was the facilitator. Like my mom, she can't stand the word dementia. She mentioned that prefers to use terms like 'Cognitive Disorder Not Otherwise Specified' and 'White Matter Hypodensity'. She also noted the simple fact that people don't understand those terms but they do understand the word dementia. I'm like mom too, I'm starting to hate the word just as much as she does.
I think one of the reasons mom hates the blog is because it uses the word dementia and she has grown to hate that word. Dementia is a Latin word from de- "without" + ment, the root of mens "mind and it means madness. Close your eyes and say the word out loud. What image comes to mind. I'm sure it is similar to what comes to my mind. I see a dishevelled person in a straight jacket banging their head against the wall of a padded room. That image creates a stigma and a big misunderstanding of what dementia in our modern world actually means. The word is off set when combined with others and sounds more medical. Close your eyes again and say Frontal Lobe dementia or Lewy Body dementia and what image comes to mind. If you are like me, than your mind stays blank because we haven't been conditioned to associate anything with those terms. That is what needs to change. People need to understand what dementia actually is. I hope to do that.
More than half the world still believes that dementia is a normal part of ageing. It isn't, far from it. I know many people in their eighties and even nineties who are as quick and on the ball cognitively as I am, even more so. They move a little slower and might even use a walker. Their bones are weaker. They might be a little incontinent and use Depends. They might have some age on-set diabetes or a bit of a problem with high blood pressure and need some medication. They might forget a person's birthday occasionally or misplace the TV remote, but don't we all, at any age. They still enjoy playing bridge or crib. They read, watch TV, gossip over coffee and complain about the state of affairs in the world. They still engage in normal everyday life. Normal ageing causes atrophy of the brain. However, overall cognitive functioning can remain unaffected as people age. The brain may become less efficient, but still be able to do the job. This is normal ageing and there in no dementia involved, their minds are essentially intact.
Dementia isn't a disease. It's a syndrome meaning that is has a set of signs and symptoms. The symptoms involve the cognitive functions of memory, attention, language and problem solving. Dementia is characterized by a progressive impairment of memory and intellectual function that is severe enough to interfere with social and work skills. Memory, orientation, abstraction, ability to learn, visual-spatial perception, and higher executive functions such as planning, organizing and sequencing may also be impaired. Dementia can be rapid progressing or slow in it's progression. Regardless, plaque building up on portions of the brain and atrophy of the neurons and white matter of the brain eventually causes physical symptoms as organs of the body lose the ability to function properly.
There are over 200 types and sub-types of dementia. Some types are completely genetic like Huntington's disease. Frontal lobe dementia and Alzheimer's can be inherited and it was just recently that the mutated gene for these types was finally identified. There are 11 inherited diseases that will cause dementia. Diseases like Krabbe disease and Urea cycle diseases. There are types of dementia like Wernicke's syndrome and Dementia pugilistic and when the causes of the dementia, in these cases alcohol and repeated brain trauma stop, the progression of the disease stops too. There are 'organic' types of dementia where secondary diseases cause the dementia. Diseases like syphilis, hypertension and vascular diseases will cause dementia if not properly treated. There are chemically induced types of dementia in which damage to the brain is caused by exposure to certain types of prescribed medications including anti-convulsive drugs and chemotherapy drugs. Methamphetamine use and even a one time exposure to anaesthetics can induce dementia also. In these cases some of the symptoms can and sometimes be reversible but the initial damage to the brain tissue and white matter are not and often over time, dementia may develop.
Geriatric medicine is still new in the world of medicine and only a handful of universities and medical schools in North America offer this type of specialization. Sadly, dementia was first seen in 1907 but not studied again until 1976. It's a shame that all those years that could have been spent on research and development were wasted. Regardless, I have faith that things will improve for everyone. For improvements to be seen we have to educate ourselves and become aware of this absolutely insidious illness and most importantly we need to prepare ourselves and our families.
The University of Calgary is one of the medical schools that does offer a geriatric medicine specialization program. Recently the department held an on-line seminar on dementia. Dr. Holroyd-Leduc was the facilitator. Like my mom, she can't stand the word dementia. She mentioned that prefers to use terms like 'Cognitive Disorder Not Otherwise Specified' and 'White Matter Hypodensity'. She also noted the simple fact that people don't understand those terms but they do understand the word dementia. I'm like mom too, I'm starting to hate the word just as much as she does.
Monday 3 June 2013
The Dementia Diary: I don't wanna grow up
The Dementia Diary: I don't wanna grow up: I recently read a story about the world's oldest man. He is 116 years old and he is the last person living in the world that was born i...
I don't wanna grow up
I recently read a story about the world's oldest man. He is 116 years old and he is the last person living in the world that was born in the 19th century. I honestly can't fathom all the changes this man has been witness too. Of course the obvious technological changes are many but this is a man who lived in the tail end of the Japanese feudal system who saw changes from a shogunate to an emperor and than to a western like parliamentary system. This is a man who lived through the many wars that Japan fought and remembers his country as an ally in WW 1 and as the enemy in WW 2. This is a man who worked in Korea when it was a colony of Japan. This is man who retired before I was even born, smoked when it was fashionable, still enjoys rice wine, and took up farming at the age of 90. He attributes his longevity not to healthy living but to eating small, sensible meals of fresh, seasonal foods. Go figure that. The secret to the longevity is eating real food in smaller portions.
When I was a child, I wanted to grow up and it wasn't about being 18 and leaving home. I enjoyed hanging around with the elderly and listening to their stories of the days long past. I loved how my grandfather was respected in my family and how other elderly people were respected in their families too. I can remember sitting on my grandfathers knee and staring at the wrinkles of time and hard work on his face. I would rub my hand across the weathered skin of his face and I would pull on the waddle of his chin. I would laugh when he took out his false teeth and laugh even harder when I pulled his finger so he could fart. He would say "When you're my age you can fart anywhere". I never looked at my grandfather as old or decrepit. I always saw him as an honourable man, who worked hard for his family and who did the best he could with what he had. I respected my grandfather and I still do. He wasn't a centurion when he passed away, in fact he was my mom's age now. Regardless, he had lived to see many changes in the world, his children grow, most of his grand-children grow and even few great-grandchildren come into this world. I was very saddened when he died and I still miss him. But I thought he had lived a long enough life and as his health was started to fail him, perhaps it was time.
In our modern world we live longer. We live longer for many reasons and of course medical advancements is the first and foremost reason. However, are some of these medical advancements really worth it. I can stop colouring my hair now and take a pill that stops grey hair. I can get botox or a face lift or a butt lift or a breast lift at any age I want. I can take a variety of remedies to stave off this disease or that disease and I can take a plethora of medications to prevent the advancement of any age related disease that I may develop. So, I could in fact live to be centurion myself. The question is, do I want too? Mr. Kimura in Japan is the last man in a world of 7 billion people to be born in the 19th century. 1 in 7 billion. That fact alone makes him a rarity and makes me think even further. Is the human body made to live that long? I don't think it is.
Everyday I see the elderly at mom's facility. Everyday I hear some sort of complaint of a sore this or a sore that. Everyday someone will say I wish I could still see or I wish I could still dance or I wish my wife was still here. Everyday I watch those elderly who can no longer talk, or walk. I watch as they stare and then suddenly, for no reason they smile. I wonder if they are remembering a happier time in their life or is it simply their befuddled mind. Sometimes I hear them moan for no reason and I wonder if they are in pain and do they feel pain or is it just an involuntary reaction or the only sound they are able to make. I wonder is this the life they envisioned. I wonder if they had a choice, what choice would they make. I wonder if they are happy or if they are just waiting. I wonder a lot. I wonder about my own old age and I envision how I want it to be. Sadly, chances are, it will be nothing close to what I envision.
More and more our world is changing and even now, in my 40's I complain about some of the changes. The one change that I find most disturbing though is the treatment of our elderly. For centuries the elderly were kings and chiefs. They were respected on honoured. Our world is no longer like that. Elderly are blamed for the misfortunes of today's world and for the historical choices they made. The elderly are criticised for everything from the way they drive to costing the systems millions of dollars. Then they are herded away into facilities so they are unseen and then forgotten about. I doubt that this how they envisioned their golden years because really, what's golden about that?
Mr. Kimura is cared for by the 89 year old widow of his eldest son. He has out lived two wives, two children and even some of his grand-children as well as his siblings and all of his close friends. At 116 he spends most of his days in bed. As he is the oldest living person in the world he has been interviewed many times. I read over twenty different interviews from news agencies around the globe and not one of them, not one has ever asked him this simple question, "Are you happy Mr. Kimura?". Perhaps they don't ask because they know the answer or they fear the answer. I don't know the answer either but I know what my answer would be and as it stands now, I don't wanna grow up.
When I was a child, I wanted to grow up and it wasn't about being 18 and leaving home. I enjoyed hanging around with the elderly and listening to their stories of the days long past. I loved how my grandfather was respected in my family and how other elderly people were respected in their families too. I can remember sitting on my grandfathers knee and staring at the wrinkles of time and hard work on his face. I would rub my hand across the weathered skin of his face and I would pull on the waddle of his chin. I would laugh when he took out his false teeth and laugh even harder when I pulled his finger so he could fart. He would say "When you're my age you can fart anywhere". I never looked at my grandfather as old or decrepit. I always saw him as an honourable man, who worked hard for his family and who did the best he could with what he had. I respected my grandfather and I still do. He wasn't a centurion when he passed away, in fact he was my mom's age now. Regardless, he had lived to see many changes in the world, his children grow, most of his grand-children grow and even few great-grandchildren come into this world. I was very saddened when he died and I still miss him. But I thought he had lived a long enough life and as his health was started to fail him, perhaps it was time.
In our modern world we live longer. We live longer for many reasons and of course medical advancements is the first and foremost reason. However, are some of these medical advancements really worth it. I can stop colouring my hair now and take a pill that stops grey hair. I can get botox or a face lift or a butt lift or a breast lift at any age I want. I can take a variety of remedies to stave off this disease or that disease and I can take a plethora of medications to prevent the advancement of any age related disease that I may develop. So, I could in fact live to be centurion myself. The question is, do I want too? Mr. Kimura in Japan is the last man in a world of 7 billion people to be born in the 19th century. 1 in 7 billion. That fact alone makes him a rarity and makes me think even further. Is the human body made to live that long? I don't think it is.
Everyday I see the elderly at mom's facility. Everyday I hear some sort of complaint of a sore this or a sore that. Everyday someone will say I wish I could still see or I wish I could still dance or I wish my wife was still here. Everyday I watch those elderly who can no longer talk, or walk. I watch as they stare and then suddenly, for no reason they smile. I wonder if they are remembering a happier time in their life or is it simply their befuddled mind. Sometimes I hear them moan for no reason and I wonder if they are in pain and do they feel pain or is it just an involuntary reaction or the only sound they are able to make. I wonder is this the life they envisioned. I wonder if they had a choice, what choice would they make. I wonder if they are happy or if they are just waiting. I wonder a lot. I wonder about my own old age and I envision how I want it to be. Sadly, chances are, it will be nothing close to what I envision.
More and more our world is changing and even now, in my 40's I complain about some of the changes. The one change that I find most disturbing though is the treatment of our elderly. For centuries the elderly were kings and chiefs. They were respected on honoured. Our world is no longer like that. Elderly are blamed for the misfortunes of today's world and for the historical choices they made. The elderly are criticised for everything from the way they drive to costing the systems millions of dollars. Then they are herded away into facilities so they are unseen and then forgotten about. I doubt that this how they envisioned their golden years because really, what's golden about that?
Mr. Kimura is cared for by the 89 year old widow of his eldest son. He has out lived two wives, two children and even some of his grand-children as well as his siblings and all of his close friends. At 116 he spends most of his days in bed. As he is the oldest living person in the world he has been interviewed many times. I read over twenty different interviews from news agencies around the globe and not one of them, not one has ever asked him this simple question, "Are you happy Mr. Kimura?". Perhaps they don't ask because they know the answer or they fear the answer. I don't know the answer either but I know what my answer would be and as it stands now, I don't wanna grow up.
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