Juneteenth Update: Health News & Artist Story

Happy Juneteenth to those of you in the United States.

I had a really great experience yesterday. An experience that made me realize that there are a lot of good people in this crazy and divided world.

Linda and I rented a car yesterday so we could take care of several errands and appointments. Our last stop of the day was haircuts. After my haircut was finished, Linda dropped me off at a neighborhood pub, and she went to her salon.

West 94th Street Pub holds a lot of memories for me. Many years ago, I lived close to the bar and I became a regular patron. This place is very much like Cheers. Small, friendly, and welcoming to all who walk through the door.

The bartender and I were chatting about all sorts of things. Then a couple sitting around the corner of the bar from me joined the conversation when they overheard me mention the name of my hometown. The couple previously lived in Spartanburg. Soon, a gentleman sat down beside. All the while we are enjoying getting to know a bit about each other. As you may expect, my Alzheimer’s journey was part of the conversation.

The gentleman beside me told the bartender (Jason) that he was moving to a high top table because his daughter was going to join him.

Maybe thirty minutes later, Linda sent me a text stating she was leaving the salon to pick me up. As I was preparing to leave, Jason handed me a small piece of paper. He said it had been left on the table where the man and his daughter had eaten. The paper contained a sketch of me at the bar.

No note, no signature, just a really awesome sketch.

I absolutely love the sketch. More importantly, is the kind gesture that the sketch represents.

I posted this story on Reddit last night hoping the man or his daughter would see it. I want to personally thank the extremely talented artist.

My story doesn’t end just yet.

The outpouring of love, support, and kindness from Redditors has moved me beyond words. There have been 19,000 views and over 250 likes of my post. Durham and Chapel Hill are amazing cities. Both are college towns where people are open-minded, friendly, and supportive of strangers.

As someone struggling with Alzheimer’s, moments of joy can be infrequent and fleeting. Especially, this week. I have not felt the best all week.

To the still unknown artist and my fellow Redditors, thank you for lifting my spirits and giving me a bit of hope that there are good people full of love surrounding me.

Linda and I also went to the UNC Sports Medicine Clinic yesterday for a checkup on her leg injury. The fracture is healing slowly. The full leg brace has been replaced with a shorter and less bulky version. Linda is super happy about the brace change.

We planned to drive to Maryland today to celebrate Linda’s mother’s 93rd birthday. At the last minute, we decided I wasn’t feeling well enough to make the trip. Linda flew to Washington today, and she will return home Monday. She has arrived safely. Apparently, flying with your own wheelchair is a big hassle.

Please forgive any mistakes in this blog post. Linda is not available to proofread my writing. I did read the post to the three cats, and they indicated by meowing that everything is good.

Have a great weekend, and thank you for your continued support. It means the world to me.