March 19, 2005
A Recollection
My old man suffered from Alzheimer's Disease his last three years or so, and that is a sobering, frightening thing. Sobering in that you get to witness a brilliant mind turn to oatmeal before your eyes, frightening in that it is genetic in some form or other. Very sad indeed to see a formidable intellect find humor and solace in a sailboat race because the spinnakers are pretty, in a supermarket buggy because the front wheel is askew.
There were moments of comic relief, fortunately. In particular I recall the Senator attempting to jump start a smoldering fire in the fireplace. His solution was to fill a juice glass with 87 octane gasoline, and throw it on the wood. For some reason none of us interfered, and it was ennobling to see him, explosive flames licking his eyebrows, hollering "BURN, BABY, BURN!" as the tinder ignited, and the blaze reflected in his reading spectacles, melting the plastic frames even, and he with a shit-eating grin on his face.
He was like that. Even when in control of his faculties. Push that envelope. Make it burn. Joy in immolation. A strange and wonderful man. Half Ambrose Bierce, half William Faulkner. I miss that old fart.
.. my Father could build a fire in the middle of a lake... he was forever building fires on our land.. clearing brush.. cleaning.. I definitely enherited his pyromaniac gene.. good Fathers are indeed a treasure..
Posted by: Eric at March 19, 2005 8:46 PMMy whip-cracking smartass Aunt got the brain bug in her early 80's. She came to stay with us when I was in my late teens.
Many a time she banged on my downstairs bedroom door in the wee hours. 9 times out of 10 I was either shitfaced, stoned or both. It was a hellaciously precarious adventure trying to shuttle her old arse back upstairs to the confines of her padded bedroom whilst in a stupor without rousing the 'rents.
The old man nailed me once. But my altruism usurped my intoxication. Even in my inebriated state, his glare let me know I would never get a free pass again.
Rest In Peace, Aunt Fran.
Posted by: rightisright at March 19, 2005 11:07 PMGreat image. Was it wrong of me to laugh out loud at that post?
Posted by: kc at March 24, 2005 7:48 PM