Poetry and humour in memory walk
When Ted Normanton found out he had dementia he went into denial, he says in a poem. Normanton read his poem,
Living With Change, to about 200 people, dressed in purple T-shirts, who walked from East End Reserve to the Puke Ariki Landing in New Plymouth yesterday for the annual Alzheimers New Zealand Memory Walk.
There is a saying ‘‘no rhyme or reason’’, he said. But his poem rhymed and there were good reasons for writing it. The poem, at times poignant and at times laugh-out-loud funny, told his story. He coped well, before things got tough, he said.
‘‘At time I feel all at sea... being told I could drive no more, nearly sent me to the floor.’’
So, he couldn’t drive his moko around and has to catch a bus, he said. His poem continued saying his gold card got him on free, but he kept boarding the wrong bus, which got a laugh from the crowd.
He will recite his poem to the Alzheimers New Zealand annual conference in a few weeks.
The walkers came from all over Taranaki and included people with dementia, families and caregivers, Alzheimers Taranaki manager Ana Parkes said.
‘‘The memory walk recognises the need for support for people with dementia and to acknowledge people with dementia can live well in the community given the right services.’’
According to Alzheimers New Zealand, two out of three people in New Zealand know someone or have known someone with dementia, she said.
‘‘That’s 78,000 people in Taranaki. It has a ripple effect.’’