What a week!
I am bubbling and fizzing with ideas and things I'd like to do, but sometimes I am frustrated by what I perceive to be inertia in others.
Now don't get me wrong. I know that I am sometimes unreasonable in my expectations - we all have "other fish to fry", but I am DESPERATE to use my meagre skills and talents before they drain away and I become like one of the pitiful old dementia sufferers so often portrayed in the Media. I have skills. I have determination. I have energy. I am hungry to play a part in educating and informing people about the wonderful curse of living with dementia. The ups. The downs. The disappointments and the tricks to exist comfortably with one's diagnosis and subsequent, slow deterioration. People tell me that things can't be done because of "lockdown", and I understand that much of the face-to-face work is not possible. But what about the lobbying and advertising work? Surely we should be using the time we used to spend talking to groups of people, to lobby politicians, businesses and people at local, regional and national levels to recruit them to join our fight for a greater awareness and understanding of Dementia?
Instead, nothing much seems to be happening.
We live in peculiar times, but we still live. And while we live, we should continue to press forward with our agendas, rather than hunkering down in our separate bunkers and lying low until the coast is clear.
Let the "working groups" work.
Let the "Associations" associate.
But let's not do NOTHING.
Time is my enemy, and I have a picture in my mind of a fuse burning slowly but inexorably towards a barrel of gunpowder... Is there anything I can do for YOU?
Please let me know. I'm so sick of feeling underused.
I am lucky enough to participate in many webinars and Zoom meetings organised by the Alzheimers Society, but they tend to be "closed shop" meetings where one is preaching to the converted. I am surprised that there aren't any community groups (like the W.I. perhaps), running Zoom meet ups, who'd like to host a conversation with someone living with dementia.
Hi Pete - Is there some way you could make use of zoom as a platform to continue with your public speaking? Our Alzheimer's Society here in Canada organizes alot of webinars - does the UK Alzheimer's do the same? If so, perhaps you could coordinate with them to reach out to others with dementia - and/or caregivers (like me!) interested in your insights - via a zoom webinar.
Gosh! I'd love the opportunity to don't off on the radio. Not sure there's a market for it though 😉
Wish I could help by thinking of something useful for you to do to help me!!! Just keep doing what you're doing. I love your positive outlook on life.
I know you do a lot of public speaking, which no doubt is impossible right now, but I wonder whether there could be an opening for you to do something similar on the radio? Maybe something could be set up for you to have a small spot, say once a week, for you to voice your hopes or concerns, or even just for you to read one of your blogs, to make people aware of the ups & downs of dementia. I think it would be very interesting - would y…