I recently saw a tragic local story (linked here) about a man with dementia who pushed his wife out of his way because she was trying to stop him from wandering off by himself. She fell and died of complications related to her injuries.
The story hit me in the gut, but inspired me to share a few words about my intent in writing and releasing my song that deals with dementia called “Marjorie Jane”. It is intended as a reminder that life is full of extreme challenges and that it is up to extended families (and when the burden is too great, some aid from society) to help care for people in need in the safest and most compassionate way possible.
That is an extreme simplification of my thoughts on the matter (I’ll let the lyrics of the tune explore some of the gritty complexities), but sums up what I hope people can take away from an otherwise potentially upsetting topic.
Let us remember, too, that we are armed with a sense of humor to bring light and love in the good times to counterbalance the struggles. I’ve decided that should I ever suffer from dementia, I look forward to someone playing me “Stairway to Heaven”, “Free Bird”, and “Bohemian Rhapsody”… so I can hear them for the first time, again…
Here’s my solo acoustic rendition of “Marjorie Jane”:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW2r77WWcgs?rel=0]