Goodbye, October, and hello, November. Can you believe Thanksgiving is only 26 days away?
This is a busy weekend in Greensboro, North Carolina. The 100th GHOE (Greatest Homecoming On Earth) is winding down today after a week of activities leading up to the parade, tailgating parties, and the football game held yesterday. Over 200,000 visitors attended the festivities.
Greensboro is home to North Carolina A&T University (Agricultural and Technical). The university is the largest historically Black university in the United States. It has a rich history in educational excellence, civil rights, and alumni pride. Linda and I plan to visit the campus art museums in the near future.
North Carolina A&T has a rich legacy of producing influential leaders, trailblazers, and cultural icons. These graduates include: Dr. Ronald McNair (NASA astronaut and physicist), Taraji Penda Henson (American actress, producer, author, and mental health advocate), Michael Regan (American environmental regulator who served as the 16th Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency), and Reverand Jesse Jackson Sr (civil rights icon, politician, and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition).
The Aggies won thier homecoming football game. The score was 13 - 10 beating Elon University.
It has been about fourteen months since my Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Much has changed for Linda and me during that time. The changes have challenged us in ways we never expected. While I try to remain positive, I worry about the future. What challenges are lurking around the corner?
I am experiencing a slow worsening of Alzheimer’s symptoms. My lack of immediate memory is frustrating. The obvious solution is making notes or lists - grocery shopping, tasks to complete, telephone calls to make, etc. Writing notes isn’t practical - or even possible - in casual conversations. For example, I was in a store purchasing cat food a few days ago. I asked a clerk where a specific brand was located; she told me, and within five seconds I completely forgot. I returned to the clerk, told her I had Alzheimer’s, and asked her to take me to the brand of cat food I wanted.
Longer-term memory is also worsening. I notice it mostly in conversations. I can’t remember names, events, or details of articles I read a few hours earlier. This makes having impromptu interactions difficult and embarrassing. I find myself withdrawing from having casual conversation with people I encounter when I am out and about. That makes me sad.
One certainty about this horrific disease is that you never forget you have it. Whether it is forgetting details about an event or lacking motivation, energy, and focus for simple tasks, there are constant reminders that Alzheimer’s oversees my life.
For everyone in the United States, if you did not vote early or by mail, please vote Tuesday. Every vote counts.
Greg Rowland’s Alzheimer’s Journey is dedicated to honest reflection and thought-provoking opinions. While we build this publication into a self-sustaining platform through donations, you can support our sustainability planvia our GoFundMe. Reading, subscribing, and sharing this work with others is equally appreciated. Thank you for walking this road with us.
