Monday, May 31, 2021

Don't Let The Sun Go Down

I was driving home from the Nursing Home one night after visiting with Lizzie.

It had been an odd visit. Lizzie had exhibited extreme paranoia about another resident. He was someone she'd known for months but she was suddenly afraid of him. It didn't help when the poor man walked by us multiple times as we chatted.

Then Lizzie told me a story about how I watched myself begging for a library card. Both the Begging Me and the Watching Me wore the same bright yellow rubber boots. She was surprised I didn't remember watching the two of me.

Lizzie then told me about letting That Man into the house because his mother was an Artiste (said with a French accent) and they wanted to see her flower gardens. Not everyone had an Artiste wanting to see their gardens, so she'd let them into the basement to see the tulips. Wasn't I proud?

Of course I was.

Another evening of Sundowning in action.

(Photo by Anand Rathod on Unsplash)

On the way home, The Elton John song Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me came on the radio.

I've always liked the song, but that night I started to wonder.

Did Elton John and/or Bernie Taupin have some experience with dementia in their lives? Was the song alluding to Sundowning?

Probably not, but when you hear it, you might find some lines that make you wonder.

 What do you think?


4 comments:

Bhavana Varun said...

Beautiful thought!

"Although i search myself, it's always someone else that i see,"

Somewhere these line seems to be true and one can feel related with it. For those who are surviving with complexities, it holds true as well.

Jemi Fraser said...

Bhavana - exactly!
It's a beautiful song in any case, but I feel like it sees into our current experiences. Makes listening to it even more powerful

The Purple Assassin. said...

I read this post of yours a while ago, and wanted to say something but I didn't have the right words back then. Someone close has been suffering with schizophrenia and I find it incredibly difficult to sometimes digest that the rest of us can be classified as normal. I think, all of us, carry within ourselves a tiny bit of madness, we just moderate it to the surrounding to not let those around think that we're any different. Sanity is so relative. Its so sad that some remain misunderstood, when we're all sailing in the same boat. Thanks for writing this. Yes, its exhibited beautifully in poems and songs (maybe there are other forms too). I've been reading Bukowski these days, and bluebird is anything but a manifestation of this. Hope Lizzie is well, sending you both my best.

Jemi Fraser said...

Purple - As a teacher of many years, I don't think there is such a thing as "normal" either. The range of normal is incredibly wide and broad - which is a good thing. Everyone finds their own "normal" within themselves and that condition is constantly changing.
I had a quote from Joss Whedon on my classroom wall for years. Paraphrasing here: Embrace whatever it is that makes you weird - it is your greatest strength.
Interesting thoughts.
Sending best wishes your way as well!