Where "OLDTIMERS" Began

“OLDTIMERS” is a slang terminology created by southerners that could not pronounce the name Alzheimer’s.  Alzheimer’s has taken the toll on so many Americans for many years.  Many didn’t understand and silently questioned, “Why is my mother, father, sister, brother, cousin and the next-door neighbor acting the way they do?  Why are they so crazy? Why are they acting like they don’t understand me?” The answer – “I don’t know but I need to get away from them.”  For many years southerners never understood where this life-threatening epidemic came from.  Today, researchers are still trying to identify the reasons of why this is happening to so many people.  I want to share this story with you, my experience, from a different perspective.  My family, my friend, my loved ones, all through the eyes of a young boy that served you.  I am going to give you an up close and personal account through the eyes of an outsider and what I observed being in your presence.

“OLDTIMERS” The Musical was created in a small southern town outside of Newton Grove, North Carolina.  During this time, I was a Food Service Director for a retirement community. Most of our residents had some kind of disability or were battling with Alzheimer’s and Dementia.  One particular morning I was called in for our morning meeting when the phone rang.  It was a resident’s family member, and he was returning the call of our director. The Director called to inform him that his mother wasn’t doing very well, and they were expecting the worst.  His response to my director was, “he was out of town with his wife celebrating his anniversary and he didn’t want to be disturbed. Please don’t call him until she is dead”.  This immediately disturbed my spirit, and I didn’t know how to handle this insensitive statement.  Take in mind I had just moved back to North Carolina to help my mother, and for someone to speak about their parent that way was very heartbreaking and emotional for me.  After finishing my workday, I returned home, sat down at my desk and began to write.  I had to release this frustration I had inside of me. I needed to tell this story in a way that explained the importance of handling people with this disease with care. I wanted to teach those that weren’t educated on the disease, help them recognize symptoms and understand the severity of the disease.  As a caregiver dealing with patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I had to share.

Full of the frustration and disbelief that someone could speak to their parent like this, I decided to create a play and completed writing its entirety within 3 days. My interpretation and goal is to shed light on the way people are living with this disease and how their families are directly affected.  As I stated in the eyes of the young boy - me.  With the faith that we have, blacks have always prayed their way through things not aware of the resources, support group and other avenues that we could be utilizing to help us deal with this not-so-positive affect on our lives.  Some blacks would rather keep it as a secret and just say Mom, Dad, sister or brother isn’t feeling well today instead of seeking help from an agency or doctor to properly diagnose their family member.  As some say, “I’ll take it to Jesus”, and at the present time GOD is sending you the help you need to cope with the disease.  I wrote this play with the intention of helping people understand that they are not alone and there are resources available.  I want this play to serve as a vehicle to understanding, being knowledgeable and serving as a way of telling their story, help someone else who may be going through the signs, the emotional restraint, the overwhelming fright of their family members may experience, the constant question of ‘how am I going to deal with this?’.

Who would have known one year after I wrote this production, I would deal with Alzheimer’s disease myself? That I was going to be faced with someone so dear and close to me, going to be diagnosed with onset Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease all at the same time. The person was my mother’s mate.  He was diagnosed and now living with these diseases. One that we’ve spoken about today.  He was a police officer for most of his life, a man that served so many others on different levels in his community.  During his spare time he cut grass for the elderly. He also opened a community thrift store to serve the needs in the community.  In addition, he worked with the Behavioral Healthcare and Economic Resource Center to help furnished apartments for residents with mental disabilities and offered other community service work.  My mother’s mate stated that his saddest disappointment is “not being able to help the people I’ve helped, because I’ve slowed down.”  To be denied the love and not receive support from his community, has been heartbreaking. Witnessing people he served throughout the years, not giving the respect or to take the time to go visit him or share the love that he gave to so many people, has been devastating.  “OLDTIMERS” emphasizes and states “Give me my Respect, because I’m not dead yet”.

I need your assistance today in spreading this phrase throughout the country by showing your support, love and understanding why we are still here.  When we have a mind and are able to decipher right from wrong, it is a blessing.  Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s Disease does not allow everyone to do so.  Through the eyes of this grown man, I want to present the facts of caregivers and loved ones who have taken the title “Patience to Serve”, and acknowledge there are people out there that love, support and appreciate all you do.

“OLDTIMERS” is scheduled to hit the stage in March 2016 here in Las Vegas.  “OLDTIMERS” is written, produced, and directed by myself, Preston Coghill.  I am utilizing local cast members that understand the vision, purpose and importance of properly taking care of a loved one who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. We are one step away from finding a cure with a cause, helping someone understand that they do not have to go through this alone and sharing knowledge “We can succeed in beating this disease”.

For more information on how you can help and become a part of spreading the word, please contact me at oldtimersstageplay@gmail.com… You can visit us at http://oldtimersstageplay.jimdo.com   

Thank you for taking the time out to read my story. I hope that you find the need to help “OLDTIMERS” become the production that will help those that have spent their efforts, given love and shown support to their loved ones.  Find out how you can become a sponsor or supporter of this cause.

Preston Coghill

Founder, Director, Writer, Producer of “OLDTIMERS” The Musical