What? old age? menopause back for a repeat performance? or just plain vanilla dementia?

The other day my son Jack missed the bus.  He came back up the driveway looking for a ride to school.  No Problem, it’s early enough and I had time so I drove him. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized I went in my slippers, AND I stopped at CVS on the way back.

Did people notice that it was less than 10 degrees out and I had slippers on?  Did they feel bad for me, thinking, “That poor woman. Look at her in her slippers on this cold, cold day.” What’s next? Wearing my bra on the outside of my shirt wandering aimlessly in Shoprite looking for my Grandma Amelia? (She died in 1972)

I know where I get this.  My father wore his slippers everywhere.  He mowed the lawn in them, went to church in them, and one day wore them to work.  He called my mother in a panic from his office in Troy.  We had to pile in the car and drive there with a pair of shoes!  My dad passed away in 2010.  I try and remember the things about him that made me smile.  When he wasn’t scaring my dates, or looking so imposing in his military uniform, he was actually a pretty normal dad.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s, sadly, runs in my family.  My mother’s brother was always a bit off and funny.  We chalked it up to many events in his life until one day he actually did go shopping in downtown Schenectady in his PJ’s.  The policeman who brought him home was very kind and shared with us his suspicions.  He was right and sadly we lost him years later to that disease.  It robs people of their heart, soul and dignity.  I joke about it in this post but I have lived with the affects of it.

So maybe forgetting why I went into a room, or where I hid the Christmas gifts is just part of the aging process. Will my kids share stories of getting a birthday gift months later when I finally remember where I hid them?  How come the aging process doesn’t include losing those stubborn 10 pounds or the ability to eat chicken wings without chewing 14 Tums afterward.

Basically life is good and like my dad always thought, my slippers didn’t fail me when I needed them.