As we age, many of us carry a quiet fear:

"What if I lose my memory? 

 What if I end up like mom, dad or grandma?"

 In fact, a 2020 Harris poll cited that 82% of Americans say they’re concerned about Alzheimer’s disease, and more than half worry they’ll personally develop it.

If some form of dementia runs in your family, it can feel like a guarantee.

But here’s the good news: It’s not.

Yes, there’s a genetic link.

 But no - it’s not a life sentence.

The truth is: Alzheimer’s is often preventable.

Out on my morning walk yesterday, I started thinking about Mark Twain.

And, I know you’re thinking … that’s odd.

Well, I can kind of explain it.

Just the other day, a friend sent me a video of Conan O’Brien receiving the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. 

(if you're interested in hearing a clip of Conan's acceptance speech expressing his reverence for Twain, here is one.  

Yesterday, I saw the news that the Pulitzer Prize was awarded to James by Percival Everett — a novel I read a few months ago. 

It’s a fictional retelling of Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, but this time through the eyes of Jim — or “James,” as he’s called in the book - a Black man who was enslaved.

If you’re not familiar with Huckleberry Finn, it’s set in the pre-Civil War South and centers around Huck, a young white boy, and Jim, a man escaping slavery. 

Reading James through Jim’s perspective offers a profound shift in understanding - one that expands empathy and reminds us of how easily we miss the full truth when we only view a story through our own lens.