Your Stories, Your Voices: "The Touch of Alzheimer's Disease"
Trent Gilliss, Online Editor
Although most of Krista’s interviews make it into production, some regretfully don’t. I say regretfully because almost all of her conversations have an interesting thread, but perhaps not enough to carry an hour-long radio program.
And that’s the beauty of producing material online — no format constraints and limitless ways of displaying information. If the material is strongest at 29 minutes and 34 seconds, then that’s what it should be and can be.
This ability to create more compelling productions out of existing material is the liberating force behind the Web. It allows us, as producers, to become more creative with our material. But, reevaluation for other outlets also requires flexibility and a shift in thinking — a somewhat new approach to listening and editing for a radio producer, especially when it involves visuals.
As of late, Rob listened to an interview from 2002, Krista’s conversation with David Shenk on the impact of Alzheimer’s disease. Drawing on previous queries for “The Spirituality of Parenting” and “The Beauty and Challenge of Being Catholic,” he asked if we might do the same to create an online program addressing the topic of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s a great start and I trust that something meaningful will result, whether it makes it online or, hmmmmm…, maybe even on the air.
The average lifespan of men and women is on the rise. And, with it, an increasing number of people are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s.
Each person with this illness has a distinct experience and a distinct story, a story often carried in memory by a caregiver or loved one. If your life has been touched by Alzheimer’s, we’d like to hear your story. How has this disease changed the way you think about love, memory, personality and humanity? Help us reclaim this conversation. Share your stories and images with us.
