Age- and Dementia-Friendly Winnemucca had the launch of its movie series with the presentation of 50 First Dates at Park Cinemas. With movies focused on forgetfulness, brain injury,
PTSD, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease, our team members are seeking ways to educate our
community about behaviors, attitudes, misunderstandings, and misinterpretations about cognitive decline
in an open atmosphere of learning. One of our crew members received a Facebook
comment questioning why we would be showing 50
First Dates, a film focused on traumatic brain injury, when someone in
attendance, a loved one, or a caregiver might be present who might be experiencing such a decline.
Well, that’s the point. If we discuss confusion, forgetfulness, every day/hour/minute
becoming a new moment or repetitive moment in life that disregards connections of instances that
took place just beforehand, we can better support a loved one who has mental challenges or
difficulty.
As
I have mentioned to many, I had no idea that Adam Sandler could portray such a
kind and sensitive role as he does in this movie – loving Drew Barrymore regardless
of her memory loss and daily replication of life. I admire the loving reactions
of her father to ease her stress about forgetting. One of the most profound statements
reflects Sandler’s belief that every kiss should be just like the first one –
sweet, tender, honest, committed. I go beyond that with every sunrise and
sunset, every encounter and discussion, every hug and utterance, should be as
rich and as meaningful as the first. Sandler the philosopher – wow! I would have never imagined.
In
chatting with Lowry Cheer who heads up our annual Tie-One-On event for Alzheimer’s
Awareness I mentioned the movie, 20 First
Dates. Puzzled faces then asked, “You mean 50?” Yep, I let them know that I
had simply forgotten 30 of those dates. I have to laugh at my own absentmindedness
that invades from time to time.
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