The Fascinating Things I Learn
a few thoughts: I’m finding time for special pursuits in my new life. I try to ensure that these experiences will be rewarding and positive—no one wants to be down! As a result, I’m meeting helpful, wonderful, and knowledgeable people everywhere. I was in my granddaughter’s kindergarten class for some time.
I adore that her teacher let me blend right in and work with the students. I can personally greet the children because their names are written on their desks. I said, “Hello, Desmond” (sounded like z). How is your narrative progressing? He looked at me in awe before uttering, “It’s Desmond [s with an s sound]” with a hint of disdain. Let me briefly discuss phonics.” Kindergarten! I adored this brief lesson. I better understood my mini-phonics tutorial after learning that the Desmond with a “z” had fallen ill before I arrived.
During lunch, I sat with my grandson, and an extraordinarily healthy hot meal arrived. A boy standing across from us immediately noticed my presence and inquired about who I was, why I was there, what I was doing, and when I would be leaving and returning. I responded quickly until he finally stopped. He grinned, “You look much older than my grandmother.” Even though I acknowledged that I probably was, I remained Dayne’s grandmother.
He thought about it for a while before responding, “You know, you’d look a lot younger if you colored your hair.” She does, and she appears significantly younger than you do.” As I considered the gray hairs on my head, I smiled.
I thanked him for his input and said that I was pleased with my hair and didn’t want to color it. He didn’t let that stop him; he kept reminding me how much younger and younger I would look if I just got rid of that awful gray stuff. When we were finally dismissed, I smiled, shook my head in awe, and then happily left the scene.
I can’t wait to meet this gentleman’s grandma. Unsolicited advice is very enlightening (and I don’t think my hair is getting lighter!). In a few weeks, I’ll be going back to Dayne and Bryn’s classrooms. What other insights might you have?
I participated locally in the initial screening of a special movie night about forgetfulness, brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. In an open learning environment, a group is looking for ways to educate our community about behaviors, attitudes, misunderstandings, and misinterpretations.
A commenter asked one of our crew members why we were showing 50 First Dates, a movie about traumatic brain injury, when there might be someone in attendance, a loved one, or a caregiver, who might be showing signs of decline. That’s the point, after all. We can better support a loved one who has cognitive difficulties if we talk about confusion, forgetfulness, and every day, hour, and minute becoming a new moment in life without considering connections to previous events.
I had no idea that Adam Sandler could play such a caring and sensitive role as he does in this movie, loving Drew Barrymore despite her memory loss and day-to-day life replication. I admire her father’s tender responses to her anxiety about forgetting. Sandler’s conviction that every kiss should be sweet, tender, honest, and committed is reflected in one of the most profound statements.
I go beyond that, and I believe that every sunrise and sunset, every meeting, every conversation, and every hug should be as rich and meaningful as the first. Wow, the philosopher Sandler!
