Rock
Well-Known Member
In his famous novel, "Stranger is a Strange Land", Robert A. Heinlein said, "Man is the animal that laughs. We laugh because it hurts too much to cry."
My friend, Doug, is like a father to me. He was an adult Sunday school teacher at a church I belonged to for five years. He is a brilliant man, and a retired principal and school teacher. The pastors would go to him as well as send people to him with their questions. Doug stood in for my wife's father, who lives in the Philippines, at our wedding and gave her away in 2006.
Doug is in his mid-sixties and now has Alzheimer's. He is a shell of the man he was; forgetful, frightened, lost, confused, and sometimes combative. He is losing not only his wonderful mind, personality, and dignity, but his identity. He knows who I am, but thought my thirteen year old daughter was my wife on our last visit. It is heartbreaking. I would never laugh at Doug or tolerate anyone else doing so.
I have been in fear for my life before, but I have never been afraid of death. I have had over thirty surgeries in my life and still manage to have a sense of humor about it, as well as most other things, and enjoy life.
As a police officer or soldier, you see such unimaginable horrors, that you often develop a morbid Gallows Sense of Humor with nothing sacred. It doesn't so much make you callous, as keep you sane and human. Sometimes its hard to turn off and you can come across as a monster.
My friend, Doug, is like a father to me. He was an adult Sunday school teacher at a church I belonged to for five years. He is a brilliant man, and a retired principal and school teacher. The pastors would go to him as well as send people to him with their questions. Doug stood in for my wife's father, who lives in the Philippines, at our wedding and gave her away in 2006.
Doug is in his mid-sixties and now has Alzheimer's. He is a shell of the man he was; forgetful, frightened, lost, confused, and sometimes combative. He is losing not only his wonderful mind, personality, and dignity, but his identity. He knows who I am, but thought my thirteen year old daughter was my wife on our last visit. It is heartbreaking. I would never laugh at Doug or tolerate anyone else doing so.
I have been in fear for my life before, but I have never been afraid of death. I have had over thirty surgeries in my life and still manage to have a sense of humor about it, as well as most other things, and enjoy life.
As a police officer or soldier, you see such unimaginable horrors, that you often develop a morbid Gallows Sense of Humor with nothing sacred. It doesn't so much make you callous, as keep you sane and human. Sometimes its hard to turn off and you can come across as a monster.
