I am back, I missed this blog. I tried to write on a different theme but found everything relates back to my journey with dementia. I will try not to be maudlin.
I am retired over ten years now. As I look back on my journey, I see a lot of running. Was the running to escape reality? I was crazy busy when I worked. Then nothing. I joined everything possible to fill my purposeless life. I taught English. I tried to volunteer at the VA hospital on their history project. I taught Church school. I joined the church’s many committees. I joined the Women’s Society and finally I joined PEO. Through all of this, I cut hair at home for several customers. I left my husband at home who was content to watch TV all day. I never recognized his beginning stages of vascular dementia.
My first thought on “after retirement” working was to make some more money. Don’t get me wrong, my teacher’s pension paid very well. I had no worries on how to make ends meet. I had no trouble booking cruises for my hubby and I. After all, “who deserves it more than I?” Did I save for this trip? No, it went on a credit card which became another bill to pay.
The first cruise after retirement was to Hawaii. It was a beautiful place. Honolulu was a city with a beach. We stayed in a beautiful high- rise hotel and couldn’t believe people walking in their bathing suits with a surf board through the city. It was a short, two block- walk to the beach. The warm waters of the Pacific were such a surprise and the wonderful food memorable.
But there were bad memories too. My hubby, Dave was experiencing leg pains and wanted to walk ahead. When my brother came back to get me, I asked, ‘WHERE IS Dave?” In a panic, we ran ahead to find Dave sitting in a hotel lobby. He had a one-track mind and that was to find a place to sit. Later, my brother told me they nearly lost their wallets as a group of men hustled them.
