"When Memory Fades" by Nathaniel Chin, MD

We are reading “When Memory Fades” by Nathaniel Chin, MD, a specialist in dementia and Alzheimer's. Lynn heard about the book on Wisconsin Public Radio.  It includes very gentle language and is told in a personal experience way. The author’s father developed the problem. The internet says the Alzheimer’s Association reports ⅔ of people over 85 never get the brain problem.  

We had a close relative with dementia.  He lived with it about 2 years and his sister took care of him.   It was not too scary and he never seemed to think his thinking or his first choices were too bad even when they were.

The valuable = sign

Drive.Google.com leads to Google “Drive” which offers free blank pages for typing, and free spreadsheets for money and basic calculation, what we called “arithmetic” in elementary school.  The four basic arithmetic operations are:

Addition  2+2=4         +

Subtraction 6-2=4      -

Multiplication 3*3=9    *

Division 8/2 = 4          /

But in spreadsheets, indicate arithmetic by putting the equal sign first

Addition =2+2

Subtraction =6-2

Multiplication =3*3

Division =8/2

I once heard a college official say that everyone can benefit from using spreadsheets.

That's too much!

My intelligent partner accuses me of playing Daddy Big Bucks in tipping.  I just looked up the median US income in 1950 and now.  I am trying to get my picture and hers updated to the present.

“The average family income in 1950 was about $3,300 per year, while the modern national median household income is approximately $83,730.”

We just conferred and as usual, we did not come to a new agreed-on picture of prices, tipping or appropriate use of funds.

Outage again

We took a short one-night trip.  It was clear that my life and my elderly brain are used to specific activities and locations of tools, as they are at home.  Ah, Home!  We came home and it is nice, indeed.  Then, I glanced at the clock.  The clock face was totally blank.  No juice!  No electricity! No power.  

It just came back, more than an hour earlier than estimated.  Lovely, indeed!

Trip for trip's sake

We took a trip by car north.  We do live in a vacation land of forests, lakes and good scenes.  We just planned on one night and we took that.  

There are so many things that we have at home that are not available easily and handy like we are used to there.  It is a good reminder that we are used to our ways and it is heavy work to suffer modifications.

Blog semi-pause

Modified procedure from usual: I am writing much earlier in the day.  May or may not, be able to write tomorrow.  As always, take unexpected time to consider an online blog or a paper hand-written record of ideas and events from your head and life.  Been fun and valuable in mine and I think it gets more so as one ages.

Voice

You may know Alexa and Siri.  They are mechanical devices, not people. When a potter is deep into clay, it is handy to be able to speak to a “smart” device and have it stay quiet a while or switch stations.  There are other situations where it is preferable to be able to speak rather than take some hand action.  Receptive devices are getting more widespread and their list of abilities is lengthening. Voice depends on transmission and reception.

As a person with poor hearing, I may want my smart speaker to be louder than you do.  I only speak English so I don’t want to have to speak one of the many other languages that exist.  I don’t have wonderful handwriting and I make mistakes every few strokes typing so speaking can be an advantage.  I haven’t tried using a smart speaker in a noisy environment but I suppose it might not work too well.

Look!

I read that male-only gyms are gaining popularity.  I can understand why.  Now, in my mid-80’s, it still happens to me that scantily or tightly dressed female bodies are a distraction.  When I am lifting a heavy weight, I don’t need a gorgeous woman to walk by.  Sure, I have been harnessing my impulses for years and years but it can be nice to get a break.  In a fraction of a second, I can think I am married, she shows no attraction to me, I am much, much too old.

Five dimensions of a person

I taught a course about grading students and testing them.  What about students are we trying to assess?  School is famous for parroting: I say Columbus launched an age of exploration of North and South American continents.  I ask: What did Columbus do?  You write that he launched exploration of the North and South American continents.  You get a high grade!

Every time, throughout your life, that you need to state what Columbus did, you will thank your time with me and my teaching.  But how many times will that happen?  What about the five dimensions of you?  You know: 

Physical

Cognitive

Social

Emotional

Moral

Teachers and parents understand that all five dimensions will matter over your lifetime and that you are going to be your own version of you.  We may lecture, implore, beg, punish, reward but our own dimensions are not perfectly developed.  Further, we don’t understand ourselves or you fully.  As we live, we ourselves change as do you.  Still, it is worthwhile to spend a day on each dimension, thinking how we are doing in that area and gauging you to see if we can say or do anything of value in your development.

Outage

We were talking together in our living room when our lights quietly turned off.  An electrical outage.  No ignition for flame on our gas stove. No internet.  Our cellphones have power and a signal.  Looked up a number and called it.  

Turned out a little group of four houses were affected.    Linemen were here quickly and fixed us up.   Some wire needed to be replaced but it runs underground.  A temporary fix is installed but sometime later it will get more permanent treatment.