Several weeks ago I visited Wal-Mart. As I entered the store I saw a man about my age sitting in an electric scooter (The kind provided by the store). He was wearing a “Vietnam Veterans” cap and had several US Army pins on his shirt. I approached him and said “What years were you in Vietnam”? That is a questions most Vietnam Veterans ask each other because the War lasted over ten years... He looked up at me quite puzzled. I ask again “When was it that you were in Vietnam”. He reached up and touched his cap and then with two fingers touched the side of his head and said “I don’t have it anymore” I looked in his eyes and saw a blankness with no emotion whatsoever... I said “I understand you have a very nice day” and went into the store to shop. I can only assume that he suffers from some form of dementia. Oh how I empathize with that man. My biggest fear is that some day I will be inflicted with dementia or worse Alzheimer’s. I have talked to a doctor about this and he said “Don’t worry you will not be aware of it”, meaning my mind will be gone before I can comprehended my disease. That guy I meet at Wal-Mart was well aware of his state of being. It must be terrible to lose all memories of your life or even vast numbers of years. I do understand the tremendous burden that these type of diseases places on family members. To look at the faces of your own children and not recount the early years of their lives is hard to even imagine. So far my biggest problem is finding were I put my glasses. But I do have memory loss, it is a natural processing of aging or is it an early warning sign. So far I have been assured that is all part of growing old. Yea, just like the Doc told me I would not be aware of dementia or Alzheimer’s. I guess I will find out.