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When you are in the midst of early- and middle-stage dementia, you can feel like you are in the middle of a movie you have seen dozen of times, want to beam somewhere else, scream out some four letter words, and marvel at new insights you have because (like it or not) you are now thinking differently than you did earlier in your life.

There are a lot of things you can do to keep all of the experiences and emotions you feel in check. Like Rocky Balboa you can get up from the punch of the moment and at least try to go the distance (and with seven profitable Rocky Balboa films Sylvester Stallone certainly did). You can use the Force to hold the Dark Side in check. Rolling with the punch and refusing to easily enter the dark side of anger and depression and helplessness requires a lot of work and control, but it also can be strongly facilitated by a good sense of humor that sees the absurdity in the new rules of mental functioning that you brain adopts during neurodegeneration.

Laugh. It’s the first step in acknowledging that many of the things you experience feel pretty weird compared to the way you were earlier and the way your family and friends are now. Think about the absurdity of my continuing “work” as I draw crayon-like pictures to try to express deep thoughts which to many appear funny or ridiculous while quoting Rocky Balboa and George Lucas as inspiring philosophers.

Laugh. Use the Force. Go the distance and make that worthwhile for you AND others you can help.

Become a Jedi Knight of the Dementia Order.

Archival first hand-written rough first draft for those who prefer to not use mind mapping and similar computer programs or find it difficult to do so.