Inspired Intuition

So just a warning before I even really start this post, there is bound to be some rantings in this post regarding Alzheimer’s and the issues I have with my grandmother’s condition. On to the post.

So my grandparents have arrived here for the Christmas holiday. Their visits seem to revolve around the holidays of the year. Sometimes it is Thanksgiving, other times it is Christmas (like this time), and even other times it resides with some other holiday that typically involves leaving the house. But see, my father’s parents aren’t the type for going out because it makes for such a big todo. But that is besides the point.

Watched the movie Leatherheads this evening and I found that I really liked it. The setting was 1925, and of course that coincided with prohibition across the US. One thought led to another, like usual, and I began thinking about what actually makes alcohol such a taboo item in society today and yet the most advertised (legal?) drug on the market. In reality it really isn’t all that taboo. Just like smoking was a societally accepted habit just 20 (30?) years ago. All the cool kids did it… now there is an age limit on it. A large number of people argue that if you can go off and fight and die for our country, you should be able to drink. There are others that argue that you shouldn’t be allowed to drink till you are 21 so that your brain has sufficient time to mature first (don’t know what scientific fact that is based on… how can you put a date on the maturity of a brain without taking into account all the other things that factor into “maturity” on a case by case basis?). Do I know how things SHOULD be handled? I would never presume to know even remotely enough about the situation. What truly irks me is that politicians decided they did know enough on the subject. What gives the politician the idea that he knows better than I do?

That of course brings me to politicians… but I think that should be saved for a much much later blog post.

As for Alzheimer’s… the disease that kills your brain and then you. I really hate it, and especially how it destroys what could be family enjoyment. Examples are obvious all over the place. Look at movies like the Notebook (great movie by the way) and everyday situations that are seen in nursing homes around the country (and even the world… but I am not so worldly as to assume I know they are called nursing homes everywhere). I get the reminder everytime I see my father’s parents. My grandmother has Alzheimer’s and I am reminded of it everytime they come to visit. It is of course EXTREMELY prevelant in everyday conversation with her. She can get an idea for something to write down and sit in front of the computer (assuming she makes it there) for hours on end with just 2 somewhat coherant sentences sometimes. It truly is devastating to see, and it is worse to watch as it destroys her ability to interact with us. Instead of being able to share a continuous conversation about a multitude of subjects, we end up on a single or couple topics of conversation that come up OVER AND OVER AND OVER. You tell her about one thing and eventually it gets too complicated to tell her the same thing again and it is easier to go with one or two syllable responses. It is unfortunate, but it is just the way things have become. “No, we don’t need you to bring a cake, just some fruit.” The most common way a conversation during the course of a day with her… and that is multiple times. That particular sentence was said to her 4 times the other day until my father had her write it down. The simple truth is the disease SUCKS!!!!

That is it for my Alzheimer’s rant. Soon to come is a break down of my present feelings about my laptop with some possible more rants about Alzheimer’s. I promise to keep them totally separate.