The Long Goodbye

I'm watching West Wing right now. It's a show that I enjoy immensely and has the ability to raise interesting issues in my life. The episode that I'm watching right now is titled "The Long Goodbye." CJ's father has Alzheimer's and that is one of the names for the disease.

In my life, I have lost time with one of my great aunts. For her, that was more than the chronological title. She really was a great lady. And I never really got to know her. There is very little in life more painful than looking back and wishing that you had chances that you never got.

Alzheimer's seems to be a growing problem in our society, but something that is not seen expect for those who are caring for those who are living with it. Those who have Alzheimer's mostly are unaware that they are living in a different world than the rest of us. They tend to think they are some place other than the one they are in and get confused very easily. They also forget, which is a saving grace for some.

Much of what has been learned about Alzheimer's has been learned only in the past fifteen years. Unfortunately, there is no cure. There are treatments, but there is nothing that we can do to stop the disease that robs so many of years of memories. The problem is coming more to light as the baby boomers age. It is something that seems to strike many and the warning signs are often ignored. Luckily for those who are caregivers, there are more sources for support available now.

Another part of my life has changed recently. Instead of not knowing what I am doing after I graduate (or at least having plans for a Masters degree) I have tentatively decided to try for a degree in music therapy. I'm not entirely sure where my life is now going to go, but it seems to be going somewhere in that direction. I have experience in some different places which has led me to attempt to study music therapy, probably not in Canada if I can manage it. I've found one of the original music therapy programs at a university in Germany. I have no idea if any of this will work out at any point in my life, but it seems like a good idea right now. One of the reasons that I want to be study and be a part of this program is so that maybe some of the long goodbyes won't seem so long.