WFMartin
Well-known member
- Messages
- 249
As you may or may not know, my wife, Carol, is in a memory care facility just a couple of miles from me in this busy town of Glendale, Arizona.
For several years, her memory has been failing (short-term memory), and last year, a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, her behavior became so acute that I felt I could no longer manage it, so .....long story short, she is now in a memory care facility.
Being an ex-country music musician, my friend and I with whom I play music (he, on a lap dulcimer, and me, on a Fender Telecaster guitar) decided we,'d ask whether we could offer a freebee hour of entertainment to the residents of the facility in which my wife now lives. Well, the activity directory of that facility took us up on the opportunity, and my friend and I played, and sang for one hour at Carol's memory care facility.
We had a ball, and we did a good enough job that we have been hired back for another "gig" on September 30th. At the last gig, my wife attended, with a resident friend of hers, and she enjoyed it very much, I think. For me, it was just like the "old days" when she would accompany me to my band gigs, and help with equipment, and offer support. I miss those days very much!
After probably 30 years, I got my ol' Fender Telecaster out of its case, and into use, once again! Being totally deaf in one ear, and "hard of hearing" in the other, took me out of music for quite some time. But, today, with the "miracle", miniature, electronic tuners, that clamp onto one's guitar, I am able to tune my guitar, and play probably better than I was when I was 30 years old! I can hear well enough to PLAY......just not well enough to TUNE my instrument.
At 83 years of age, and with my wife being a victim of Alzheimer's, I am still getting along quite well, and still enjoying my beloved music, while my wife enjoys listening to us play. While I am saddened by her terrible affliction, I am still capable of "entertaining", to some extent, And, it is very reminiscent of the "good ol' days", when I would play with a band on a Friday, or Saturday night, and she would be in the crowd, listening to me play. One needs to take the "bad" with the "good", and create something productive in the process. I will never lose my love for music, nor my love for painting! Both are going on, if only a bit slower! LOL
For several years, her memory has been failing (short-term memory), and last year, a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, her behavior became so acute that I felt I could no longer manage it, so .....long story short, she is now in a memory care facility.
Being an ex-country music musician, my friend and I with whom I play music (he, on a lap dulcimer, and me, on a Fender Telecaster guitar) decided we,'d ask whether we could offer a freebee hour of entertainment to the residents of the facility in which my wife now lives. Well, the activity directory of that facility took us up on the opportunity, and my friend and I played, and sang for one hour at Carol's memory care facility.
We had a ball, and we did a good enough job that we have been hired back for another "gig" on September 30th. At the last gig, my wife attended, with a resident friend of hers, and she enjoyed it very much, I think. For me, it was just like the "old days" when she would accompany me to my band gigs, and help with equipment, and offer support. I miss those days very much!
After probably 30 years, I got my ol' Fender Telecaster out of its case, and into use, once again! Being totally deaf in one ear, and "hard of hearing" in the other, took me out of music for quite some time. But, today, with the "miracle", miniature, electronic tuners, that clamp onto one's guitar, I am able to tune my guitar, and play probably better than I was when I was 30 years old! I can hear well enough to PLAY......just not well enough to TUNE my instrument.
At 83 years of age, and with my wife being a victim of Alzheimer's, I am still getting along quite well, and still enjoying my beloved music, while my wife enjoys listening to us play. While I am saddened by her terrible affliction, I am still capable of "entertaining", to some extent, And, it is very reminiscent of the "good ol' days", when I would play with a band on a Friday, or Saturday night, and she would be in the crowd, listening to me play. One needs to take the "bad" with the "good", and create something productive in the process. I will never lose my love for music, nor my love for painting! Both are going on, if only a bit slower! LOL
