Random thoughts

This morning, in the elevator at our hotel, I had an opportunity to meet a gentleman who was staying at the University Hotel. In our short trip from the 8th floor to the lobby and then from the lobby to the parking garage I was able to glean a nugget from this man.

In the course of 3-5 minutes a lesson was learned.

We entered the elevator at the same time. It was about 6:30 am. It was still dark outside. I was carrying my backpack, my suitcase, my college computer bag and my binder that had my brand new, special tie (another story at another time). He entered the elevator empty handed. Indianapolis is hosting the NCAA Midwest Regional Final and my assumption was that he was here for the occasion. I asked if that may be the occasion of his being at the hotel. His words were kind, perhaps a little wistful. He let me know that he would love to attend the games. He had been a teacher and coached basketball for 25 years. He wasn't there at that time for that reason.



A lesson learned.

This gentleman then told me the reason why he was there. His wife has been through a lot in

their years of marriage. She had struggled and lived through breast cancer, had a heart attack and survived, and also had a stroke and continued on. Now she had a new challenge to battle. She had been diagnosed with a frontal lobe dementia of some type. It was a disease that was causing her frontal lobe to shrink, causing dementia. They were at the University Place Hotel because IU Med School had her in a study. The school was footing the bill for them to stay there. Here was a man who has seen his best friend's health diminish over time and was still, on that early Friday morning, cheerful and willing to share with a complete stranger.

I was amazed at the courage of not only him but also his wife. Some could say that they are grasping at straws- hoping, by being part of the study, that additional time could be squeezed out allowing them to be together- "till death do us part."I saw a man, probably, who had seen his wife go through labor pains in bringing forth children and in doing so standing by, wringing his hands knowing all he could do was give support. Here he was, again, in a similar situation, wishing, perhaps, it was he going through the pain. Hoping to understand, if just a little, what his wife was going through. I didn't see a man desperate- I saw a man with hope, grateful that his best friend was courageous enough to share her condition with the medical community with the hope that by learning from her others may not have to suffer the same as what they were suffering. Here was a man who had hope.

3-5 minutes. A lesson learned. A man who was still a teacher in an elevator in Indianapolis...jsf