Subject: [Tweeters] Alzheimers Birding Day
Date: Jun 2 08:36:48 2014
From: Jeff Gibson - gibsondesign at msn.com


Last year I floated (on beer) the idea of International Drunk Birding Day, which had several benefits, one of which was waking up sober the next day and maybe forgetting the whole event, and moving onward.
Alzheimer's Birding Day, on the other hand, is everyday for folks with the affliction and their caregivers. That's just the way it is.
While my mom is diagnosed with Alzheimer's, my dad has some other form of dementia. About 18 months ago he was the brains of this outfit. Now he's even more out of it than mom. Dementia is really not too much fun.
Dementia creates a lot of fear, and when in fear people typically respond with either Fight or Flight behavior, like most animals. Flight in dementiaville is usually flat out denial, fight is battling with those who don't agree with the demented view. Like mom, we don't need more raisin bread, you just bought two loaves yesterday. Moms response these days to such a helpful hint might be "screw you, you think you know everything!". Or maybe some other response - you never know. Reason goes out the window. It's very stressful.
Yet, even in the darkest hours, a balm is available - birds! It's Alzheimer's Birding Day!
Around here we can go from total frustration, rage, bitter words, etc, to peace love and sorta forgiveness in the instant it takes a hummingbird to come up to the feeder just out the kitchen window. "Birdy!" my dad chirps, forgetting that he was just yelling at me that he no longer wanted me in his house, a moment before. And then some other bird fly's by, and we are all 'birding'.
Alzheimer's folks are known for remembering the past fairly well. If my parents were hotshot life-lister's they could conceivably come up with some long past event.....
" I remember that trip to Adak in 1960, and it was on my aunt Millie's birthday, and we saw those funny-looking Parakeet Auklets. That was the trip when our Aleut guide Ewok made up an Auklet omelet for breakfast. Remember! "
But then my parents are not hotshot lister's -, so I pretty much get to listen to little detailed stories about neighborhood life in Seattle of the 40's and 50's. Which can be interesting -the first few repetitions anyway.
Nope, my folks are pretty much feeder watchers, and window watchers, but it is providing a welcome relief from our stresses. Oh sure, demented people can hide their own Easter Eggs and all, but with Alzheimers Birding you can see new birds every single day - right in your own yard! In fact some days you can see the same species of bird for the first time just several hours later, which is pretty exciting. And you can see many bird behaviors you've never seen before! OK so you saw the same thing yesterday and just can't remember, but who cares, because you just don't remember.
So when times get tough watch the birds, the sun on the water, the clouds and mountains, the flowers and trees, and enjoy those gifts. If you forget what that's like, you can do it all over again.
Jeff GibsonAlzheimer AcresPort Townsend Wa