I’m reading Thomas Debaggio’s book ‘Losing my Mind’. He is writing about his being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. It is a book of loss, of grief, of disorientation. He writes in blocks of text. The short, staccato paragraphs tell of the present and the past and are interspersed with data and scientific reports about the disease. It is both a jarring and intensely potent juxtaposition. He writes well. He also introduces strange words that I’ve never come across before – like ‘scofflaw’. Perhaps they are common vernacular in the States. The difference between us is striking. I am deeply moved by his story. For the present he can only see the loss. I hope that with acceptance brings a peace for him.
