What kinds of things bring you the most pleasure now? – Reading, web-surfing, (unfortunately) eating, knitting, train travel, cruising, watching grandchildren play.
When you were a younger adult? – Reading, (still) eating, sightseeing, travel, watching the world go by.
When you were a child? – Reading, (again) eating, listening to adult conversations.
What things frighten you now? – Traffic, losing myself to Alzheimer’s, having something happen to Al, one of the children, or one of the grandchildren.
What frightened you when you were a younger adult? – The threat of nuclear war, loss of Al or one of the children.
When you were a child? – Loss of my parents, the “unnamed stranger”, things that go bump in the night.
What’s the one thing you’ve always wanted but still don’t have? – A full-time maid and cook, and enough money to pay them.
Do you feel differently about yourself now from how you felt when you were younger? – A little. How? I’m much more confident now. I used to want approval from Mama and Papa for everything I did. Mama and Papa are both gone now, and I find I don’t need the cheering section any more. I’m capable of living my life alone, if I have to.
What do you think has stayed the same about you throughout life? – My intelligence is still here and my quick intuition (or maybe that’s the same thing). I’ve always relied on “knowing”, and maybe that’s why Alzheimer’s scares me so.
What do you think has changed? – I know this sounds like a broken record, but my self- confidence. I’m much surer of myself – but isn’t that a big part of being an adult?
An Aging Liberal Hippy from the Left Coast 