... and don't make fun of me
He sat almost stiff backed in his wheelchair, at the end of a long and well lit corridor.
As we drew nearer he smiled. I asked him if he would like to meet Zion. He did.
Then he said "I met Jesus Christ". I thought it to be an unusual statement in a Jewish assisted living facility.
"Tell me about it" I said.
He told me. "I got out of Trump's helicopter and I was in Jerusalem. Jesus Christ was there.
And there were lots and lots of children, very young.
And then an army came in. The soldiers were very short, so I knew that they were Chinese, and very dangerous."
I knew that this was not the time and place for deep conversation, so I made polite comments.
I reached out my hand to bid him farewell. He gripped my right hand between his two hands and said "I am ninety four years old, and I am very strong".
He was. I could not pull my hand away from his tight, very tight grip. Yes, I was a wee bit afraid.
An aide intervened and pulled his very strong hands apart. My right hand was free!
As I walked back from him and back down the corridor he called out:
"And don't make fun of me".
Of course I would never do so.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
This dear man knew about Trump's heliocopter rides to and from the White House.
He knew about Trump's decision to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
He knew about the little immigrant children who have been separated from their parents.
He knew about the growing power and influence of China.
BUT DEMENTIA often takes in information and then synthesizes it to create a new "reality". I think that's what is happening with the man who would not loosen his grip on my right hand, and knew that he had met Jesus in Jerusalem.
His mind had taken certain facts, scrambled them and then iterated them in a way which made sense to him.
As we drew nearer he smiled. I asked him if he would like to meet Zion. He did.
Then he said "I met Jesus Christ". I thought it to be an unusual statement in a Jewish assisted living facility.
"Tell me about it" I said.
He told me. "I got out of Trump's helicopter and I was in Jerusalem. Jesus Christ was there.
And there were lots and lots of children, very young.
And then an army came in. The soldiers were very short, so I knew that they were Chinese, and very dangerous."
I knew that this was not the time and place for deep conversation, so I made polite comments.
I reached out my hand to bid him farewell. He gripped my right hand between his two hands and said "I am ninety four years old, and I am very strong".
He was. I could not pull my hand away from his tight, very tight grip. Yes, I was a wee bit afraid.
An aide intervened and pulled his very strong hands apart. My right hand was free!
As I walked back from him and back down the corridor he called out:
"And don't make fun of me".
Of course I would never do so.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
OH DEMENTIA I think that it is MOST LIKELY that
This dear man knew about Trump's heliocopter rides to and from the White House.
He knew about Trump's decision to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
He knew about the little immigrant children who have been separated from their parents.
He knew about the growing power and influence of China.
BUT DEMENTIA often takes in information and then synthesizes it to create a new "reality". I think that's what is happening with the man who would not loosen his grip on my right hand, and knew that he had met Jesus in Jerusalem.
His mind had taken certain facts, scrambled them and then iterated them in a way which made sense to him.
Comments
Post a Comment