Just the concept of Alzheimer’s and dementia is something that elicits negative feelings. Nobody wants to think about what it would be like to forget who you are or the life that you lived – the very identity that you work so hard to craft during your years on this planet.

That’s why when confronted with the choice to go through an exercise Thursday afternoon where I got to see what it would be like to tackle daily tasks while afflicted with Alzheimer’s, I was skeptical.

It wasn’t going to be uplifting. It wasn’t going to be one of the hands-on tasks that I got to talk about at dinner parties with friends.

But when I actually did it, it opened my eyes to a world that until then I had absolutely no understanding of.

They basically set me up with a pair of “insoles” that consisted of a floor mat with the spiky side up, a pair of medical gloves with a popsicle stick preventing my index finger from flexing (with a pair of gardening gloves over the top), a pair of glasses with the vision obstructed by paper strengtheners and what appeared to be crayon markings and a headset that pumped out multiple conversations and sirens and the sound of breaking glass.

In short, everything that I relied on to perform daily tasks was either dulled or taken away.

There’s no happy end to this story. The insight I did gain will forever alter the way that I look at those affected – eliciting the same level of compassion and insight that everyone else who tried to set a table or count out change or write and stuff a letter recognized Thursday afternoon.

It’s something that most people will end up dealing with in their life – whether it’s a family member or the family member of a friend.

I’m just grateful that I have a newfound perspective on the entire situation.

It’s something that I’ll never forget. Hopefully, that is.