Music Man, Etc.

It has been suggested that I am repeating myself in this blog. Perhaps, but when it is repeated in Dad's life and mind over and over again, it keeps coming up here as well. The dots all connect, not so much in his mind as in a pattern that can be seen. The music man is part of the pattern.

Today he has really been on the issue of getting his piano tuning tools out and getting back to work. That his piano tuning jobs had fallen way off in the past couple of years is something, along with the rest of the past couple of years, that he simply can't remember. He did tune pianos for many years, and he is living back there somewhere in the glory days.

He wanted to tune my piano today. That isn't going to happen. The last time he did it was a complete disaster as many of his more recent clients discovered. Well, he kept at it and at it until finally he asked, "what did I ever do that was so bad to your piano that you won't let me tune it now?" Now I had been honestly trying the only three answers that work with alzheimer's patients, yes, ignore and change the subject just as much as I possibly could. But he kept at it, so I told him. He looked shocked, dismayed, hurt, offended and then he began to apologize. He would never do that again. Ever. Well, I watched him tune an old piano just a month and a half ago, and yes, he would.

But his feelings were hurt. He wants to be "worthwhile" and says that sitting around is not being worthwhile. So, back at it he went. He wants his equipment so he can do a job. My job. Never mind that we had resolved that issue 5 minutes ago. 5 minutes ago is gone, kaput. He wants to tune my piano. After all, 2 octaves are way out of tune, he says. By the way, did I say that just yesterday he was telling me how nicely my piano sounded? But that was yesterday, and yesterday's gone.

On a positive note, he does still play well, usually. He plays much better from memory than from a book, but even then it is OK. He plays the piano for the senior center and they really like him to do it. He goes there at least once a week, twice if possibe, and he plays for about an hour each day. Oldies from their generation and then a selectin of hymns. It is an opportunity to be useful. I just have to make sure he doesn't offer to tune their piano and that they don't accept if he does.

He also wants to advertise for new piano students. Good idea because he still knows his stuff. The Music Man's memory of theory and practice is locked in for a long time to come. (An alzheimer's nurse says that it may be the last thing that will go.) But, he wouldn't remember what day their lessons were on and quite likely what they covered in the last lesson. So much that he can do combined with so much that he can't. So, we have the sunshine and the descent.