Monday, September 29, 2014
Dementia v's the world
I wish for a world when a person trying to sit up is not viewed as crazy, where a person with dementia is not viewed as worthless and miserable. Until we live in that world I am going to use some of the energy I've been putting towards caring for my Dad and do what I can to contribute to bettering the treatment of people living with dementia. It is a cruel disease and at the moment we are so far from treating sufferers reasonably let alone with dignity. For instance, in Sunshine Coast hospitals at least, they still treat dementia patients with both risperidol and haloperidol - both of which carry FDA warnings in America as their use has been found to cause higher incidence of death for people with dementia. And here we are, my Dad and I, in a position to be adding to that statistic :(
Monday, September 8, 2014
Happiness - a post-script to Queen / Music Heals
A few things came to me this week. One of those things was the realisation that in this post entitled "Music Heals - Impressions of Queen + Adam Lambert" I never did get back to what I meant by that title.
To be quite blunt about it, over the course of the past year or so, I've discovered (and to some extent, so has science) that happiness actually heals auto-immune disease. Please don't misunderstand me, I don't think that you just have to think happy thoughts and a disease that has plagued you for your entire life will disappear, that isn't what I mean. From a purely personal perspective, with the kind of disease I have, truly being in a state of happiness works magic on my levels of pain, swelling and from all accounts, actual disease progression.
And music makes me wildly, incredibly happy, ergo the previous title about Queen + Adam Lambert's concert in Brisbane. I felt so alive, so invigorated and so much less like a disabled ill person when that concert was over. Music brings so much hope, and to be surrounded by such a crowd filled with the joy of living, that is a magical kind of thing.
It is interesting as I did as much welling up with tears as I did laughing (probably more) during the concert, as Queen's music brings back incredibly sensitive & poignant memories for me. Yet they were tears of release, of comfort in the music. I felt this also when overwhelmed with emotion at Bruce Springsteen concerts, the tears were all part of the pleasure of the immersion into the music.
Today, after running out of money at the supermarket and being cranky with the children because I was worried about getting by until Friday I realised that the exact time I needed a happy attitude was right now. There is no point waiting till things get better to be happy. Happiness is a choice we make and all other choices follow accordingly. I had not long decided to be happy, then I made all the children yummy afternoon tea, we played soccer, made damper for supper and I was able to handle absolutely everything this evening calmly! It felt so much better than letting myself get distressed over a lack of spending money when we already have everything we need to get by for the week. It was easy to feel happiness after listening to incredible live music, but not so simple when at home surrounded by life's dramas.
So this week I've set myself a challenge. Not only to pursue happiness, through exercise, what I eat and drink, gratitude and music; but to blog daily until next Monday night about some aspect of how I am going with it. So far the 'formula' is working wonderfully, I'm ready for a good night's rest, not a care in the world!
To be quite blunt about it, over the course of the past year or so, I've discovered (and to some extent, so has science) that happiness actually heals auto-immune disease. Please don't misunderstand me, I don't think that you just have to think happy thoughts and a disease that has plagued you for your entire life will disappear, that isn't what I mean. From a purely personal perspective, with the kind of disease I have, truly being in a state of happiness works magic on my levels of pain, swelling and from all accounts, actual disease progression.
And music makes me wildly, incredibly happy, ergo the previous title about Queen + Adam Lambert's concert in Brisbane. I felt so alive, so invigorated and so much less like a disabled ill person when that concert was over. Music brings so much hope, and to be surrounded by such a crowd filled with the joy of living, that is a magical kind of thing.
It is interesting as I did as much welling up with tears as I did laughing (probably more) during the concert, as Queen's music brings back incredibly sensitive & poignant memories for me. Yet they were tears of release, of comfort in the music. I felt this also when overwhelmed with emotion at Bruce Springsteen concerts, the tears were all part of the pleasure of the immersion into the music.
Today, after running out of money at the supermarket and being cranky with the children because I was worried about getting by until Friday I realised that the exact time I needed a happy attitude was right now. There is no point waiting till things get better to be happy. Happiness is a choice we make and all other choices follow accordingly. I had not long decided to be happy, then I made all the children yummy afternoon tea, we played soccer, made damper for supper and I was able to handle absolutely everything this evening calmly! It felt so much better than letting myself get distressed over a lack of spending money when we already have everything we need to get by for the week. It was easy to feel happiness after listening to incredible live music, but not so simple when at home surrounded by life's dramas.
So this week I've set myself a challenge. Not only to pursue happiness, through exercise, what I eat and drink, gratitude and music; but to blog daily until next Monday night about some aspect of how I am going with it. So far the 'formula' is working wonderfully, I'm ready for a good night's rest, not a care in the world!
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Father's Day Memories
My Dad suffers with dementia. He isn't with us in the way he used to be, but his love is strong, and his will to live even stronger. For that I admire and thank him.
My memories of my father and his influence on my life are both intensely positive and surprisingly negative.
The positive memories include long days in the sun, on the 14 ft boat, soaking up the sunshine and fishing for Whiting, Bream and Flathead. And the excitement of cooking and eating all the fresh fish on the fire at night, then playing 500 late at night in our converted bus camper on Macleay Island in Moreton Bay, Brisbane. The island was like another world, of adventure and fun and as I take my children to regular holiday spots now, I see them gain a little glimpse of my island holiday life and I understand their excitement and wonder.
I remember long hours driving in the car with Dad, talking. My Dad didn't talk about politics or world events, but he would talk for hours about nature, especially birds and rocks, and about social histories. He'd also get me doing maths on our long trips, reading the map for how many kilometers to the nearest town, then to the nearest big town, then to the day's final destination! Then as I grew older, the maths became more complicated as I calculated petrol, either how far we'd make it till the petrol station, or how much mileage we got from filling the tank. I learnt to choose accommodation by price and amenities this same way, on our long trips.
The not-so-great memories include many times on summer holidays asking for Dad to show me how to do basic mechanics on my car. Dad was an auto-electrician, so he knew these things. Eventually friends of mine at university showed me how to change the oil in my car. Obviously they were just that little bit less sexist than my Dad who was born between the two world wars and believed that a man's job was to look after a woman and make sure she wanted for nothing. It is possible that his need for this to be true stemmed from his own parents, as his Dad suffered PTSD from World War I and from all accounts his mother perhaps did quite a bit of complaining at having to take over significant amounts of work. I don't remember her well, but Dad's childhood friends are fond of telling me that she was not particularly generous of spirit!
So this father's day I'm reflecting on how my Dad's parenting reflects on my parenting style....and in order to not make another of Dad's mistakes (at least not right at this instant) I'm off to watch my children wake up their father with toast and coffee they prepared themselves!
Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads out there!
My memories of my father and his influence on my life are both intensely positive and surprisingly negative.
The positive memories include long days in the sun, on the 14 ft boat, soaking up the sunshine and fishing for Whiting, Bream and Flathead. And the excitement of cooking and eating all the fresh fish on the fire at night, then playing 500 late at night in our converted bus camper on Macleay Island in Moreton Bay, Brisbane. The island was like another world, of adventure and fun and as I take my children to regular holiday spots now, I see them gain a little glimpse of my island holiday life and I understand their excitement and wonder.
I remember long hours driving in the car with Dad, talking. My Dad didn't talk about politics or world events, but he would talk for hours about nature, especially birds and rocks, and about social histories. He'd also get me doing maths on our long trips, reading the map for how many kilometers to the nearest town, then to the nearest big town, then to the day's final destination! Then as I grew older, the maths became more complicated as I calculated petrol, either how far we'd make it till the petrol station, or how much mileage we got from filling the tank. I learnt to choose accommodation by price and amenities this same way, on our long trips.
The not-so-great memories include many times on summer holidays asking for Dad to show me how to do basic mechanics on my car. Dad was an auto-electrician, so he knew these things. Eventually friends of mine at university showed me how to change the oil in my car. Obviously they were just that little bit less sexist than my Dad who was born between the two world wars and believed that a man's job was to look after a woman and make sure she wanted for nothing. It is possible that his need for this to be true stemmed from his own parents, as his Dad suffered PTSD from World War I and from all accounts his mother perhaps did quite a bit of complaining at having to take over significant amounts of work. I don't remember her well, but Dad's childhood friends are fond of telling me that she was not particularly generous of spirit!
So this father's day I'm reflecting on how my Dad's parenting reflects on my parenting style....and in order to not make another of Dad's mistakes (at least not right at this instant) I'm off to watch my children wake up their father with toast and coffee they prepared themselves!
Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads out there!
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Atlantic City - modernism gone wrong?
Being a Springsteen fan, I'm browsing his 'video of the week' recent additions and after watching the Video for 'Atlantic City' I am struck by how much the meaning of the song resonates with my own beliefs, and also with my own local area.
The video is entirely black and white, adding a sense of lonely isolation. To me it tells the story of life in a changing world.
Transposing shots of traditional stone and 'modern' architecture is architecturally one of my favourite 'moments' about exploring cities with history. The cold heartlessness of sleek modern design against the artistic, fancy stonework, with traditional works that date back to ancient Greek and Roman designs always sends a shiver down my spine. This video places the contrast beautifully midway through, sending home the coldness of the modern world.
I'm pretty poor with words, more so when I'm limited to a 15 minute window or so to type uninterrupted! Nonetheless I will have a go at capturing what the video emphasizes so beautifully about the song, reflecting a strong social commentary.
I'm getting things all mixed up because there is just so much packed into this one song, but Bruce Springsteen has captured the incredible social troubles underpinning all that there is about gambling. Australia at the moment has significant gambling addiction issues, and we are feeding that with one of the highest rates of poker machines (slot machines) per capita in the world. Gambling problems, like other addictions, create their own secondary social issues, like petty crime, unemployment, transience due to housing stress to name a few.
Seaside resort towns reliant on tourism often also exhibit the same patterns of social problems. Springsteen reflects these perfectly with his imagery, providing a poignant background to the lyrics, delivering a real sense of how stark and unforgiving it can be to find yourself "on the wrong side of that line" of winners and losers.
I am thrilled to see the video track over the words "progress and industry" before settling on Atlantic City. I feel like this brings home the question asked by this song, and which we all should continue to ask "At what price, progress?"
The video is entirely black and white, adding a sense of lonely isolation. To me it tells the story of life in a changing world.
photo by: Michael S Fleischmann
Transposing shots of traditional stone and 'modern' architecture is architecturally one of my favourite 'moments' about exploring cities with history. The cold heartlessness of sleek modern design against the artistic, fancy stonework, with traditional works that date back to ancient Greek and Roman designs always sends a shiver down my spine. This video places the contrast beautifully midway through, sending home the coldness of the modern world.
I'm pretty poor with words, more so when I'm limited to a 15 minute window or so to type uninterrupted! Nonetheless I will have a go at capturing what the video emphasizes so beautifully about the song, reflecting a strong social commentary.
I'm getting things all mixed up because there is just so much packed into this one song, but Bruce Springsteen has captured the incredible social troubles underpinning all that there is about gambling. Australia at the moment has significant gambling addiction issues, and we are feeding that with one of the highest rates of poker machines (slot machines) per capita in the world. Gambling problems, like other addictions, create their own secondary social issues, like petty crime, unemployment, transience due to housing stress to name a few.
Seaside resort towns reliant on tourism often also exhibit the same patterns of social problems. Springsteen reflects these perfectly with his imagery, providing a poignant background to the lyrics, delivering a real sense of how stark and unforgiving it can be to find yourself "on the wrong side of that line" of winners and losers.
I am thrilled to see the video track over the words "progress and industry" before settling on Atlantic City. I feel like this brings home the question asked by this song, and which we all should continue to ask "At what price, progress?"
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Music heals - Impressions of Queen + Adam Lambert
What a spectacular night! After so many Springsteen concerts all the pre-concert business was straightforward. I even managed to nab myself a 'cup' to decant my water bottle into (they didn't search my bag, so I arrived inside with a water bottle, plus lid, but little chance of keeping it with the crazy volume of security folk) But enough about me!
From the moment when the curtain began its strange edging forward on the stage, I was mesmerised by how much more 'stage crafted' this show was going to be than my recent experiences.
I traveled through time with 39, to Radio Ga Ga, Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Bohemian Rhapsody, thanks to the magic that is this beast known as Queen + Adam Lambert.
I rocked and sang to We Will Rock You, Find my Somebody to Love and Fat Bottomed Girls.
And I cried and laughed.
What a wondrous thing it is that the world has been blessed with Adam Lambert so that we could all see some of the special magic of Queen, Roger Taylor's incredible vocals and Brian May's unparalleled guitar solos. The giant mirror ball reflected the wonder perfectly, as did the stagecraft during the whole night.
Thank you Queen and Adam for visiting Brisbane tonight & sharing your gifts with us. I am feeling truly blessed.
P.S. Brisbane Crowd - I am extremely proud of the fact that none of you on the floor level seating sat down for the whole concert! well done! Now we just need to educate those in tiered seating about what a Rock concert is about!!!!!!
From the moment when the curtain began its strange edging forward on the stage, I was mesmerised by how much more 'stage crafted' this show was going to be than my recent experiences.
I traveled through time with 39, to Radio Ga Ga, Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Bohemian Rhapsody, thanks to the magic that is this beast known as Queen + Adam Lambert.
I rocked and sang to We Will Rock You, Find my Somebody to Love and Fat Bottomed Girls.
And I cried and laughed.
What a wondrous thing it is that the world has been blessed with Adam Lambert so that we could all see some of the special magic of Queen, Roger Taylor's incredible vocals and Brian May's unparalleled guitar solos. The giant mirror ball reflected the wonder perfectly, as did the stagecraft during the whole night.
Thank you Queen and Adam for visiting Brisbane tonight & sharing your gifts with us. I am feeling truly blessed.
P.S. Brisbane Crowd - I am extremely proud of the fact that none of you on the floor level seating sat down for the whole concert! well done! Now we just need to educate those in tiered seating about what a Rock concert is about!!!!!!
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