Driving February 4, 2025

About two years ago, the Old Man's neurologist diagnosed him with something called "Mild Cognitive Impairment" (MCI for short). MCI brings on a decline in short term memory and can (in about 50% of cases), lead to Alzheimer's disease. The immediate effect for the Old Man was that the Doc recommended that he stop driving.

The Old Man remembers how excited he was when he passed the driving test at the age of 16. Driving was freedom, the ability to go where he wanted to, when he wanted to go. Now that freedom is gone. The Old Man and The Wife live in a rural area 10 miles or so from the nearest doctor, grocery store, pharmacy or library. The twice a week drive to their church is 12 or 13 miles. Someone, and it is almost always The Wife, has to drive him.

She is unfailingly cheerful and cooperative about it, as are all the other members of his family. Still, he misses the freedom and independence of driving.