A Walk to Remember
- Oct
- 19
- 2011
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Alzheimer's, personal reflections
My father never practiced writing or editing, but I’m pretty sure some of the traits I acquired from him make me good at both: an almost-obsessive need to be precise, a driving desire to get things right, and an eye for detail.
Whereas those traits help me notice misplaced commas or overuse of passive voice, my father used them to help fuel his rise from a part-time shoe department salesman to a retail store manager. Later in his life, he would rely on all of those characteristics and a whole lot of self-confidence when he decided to leave retail and open a fast-food restaurant in an unlikely spot in our small town. Lots of people predicted his Triple T Grill would never last, but within a couple of years it had become one of the most popular hamburger places in town.
However, a few years ago, Daddy’s desire for precision and perfection started to fade. He no longer cared about issues he had always been passionate about. He let responsibilities slide. He started forgetting details. Unfortunately, our family knew all too well that these could be symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease because at that time, Daddy was still taking care of his mother who had been suffering from AD for years. We tried to make excuses for him, tried to pretend we didn’t see what we feared we were seeing. But eventually, we could no longer deny that he wasn’t functioning on the level where he had performed most of his life.
At some point, he was officially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s—the disease he had feared above all others. Our family was devastated by the diagnosis, but Daddy wasn’t bothered by it—he never remembered getting the news. Today, he lives in a beautifully appointed, well-run, secure Alzheimer’s facility where he receives care from trained professionals 24 hours a day. He’s happy enough in the place, even though he doesn’t really understand where he is or why, but he still begs to go home, even though he isn’t quite sure where home is.
I live 1,500 miles away from my dad, so I don’t get a chance to visit very often, and I have found very few ways I can reduce the effects of this disease on him. So next weekend, I plan to participate in a walk to help raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association. Not only does this organization provide money for research into ways to prevent or cure AD, but it also provides services for caregivers like my mother, who has benefited from support groups and expert advice.
The Alzheimer’s Association can tell you exactly how many people in this country have been diagnosed with this disease. I don’t know those numbers, but I do know that I can no longer count on my fingers the number of friends who are caring for or have recently cared for parents with Alzheimer’s. Several of those friends will be walking with me next week, and we are all looking forward to doing something. I know it’s not much; I know funds raised in the walk won’t directly help my dad. But at least the walk gives me a small way to talk about my dad and to honor him through action.
If you would like to support me in my walk or just want to pitch in to fight this dread disease, please visit my fundraising web page where you can make an instant donation to the Alzheimer’s Association. Do it in honor of my dad or give in the name of your loved ones or friends. The end of Alzheimer’s disease starts here.
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I wanted to take a moment and thank you for your wonderful work. I marvel at your eye for detail and your ability to make a written text so much better.
This book has been a major effort for me over the past 15 years—both emotionally and in time commitment. Your feedback helped me give it structure. Your insightful questions encouraged me to go deeper in my understanding and intentions, which provided enhanced clarity. Your recommendations provided a professional perspective that I needed towards getting it published. Thank you so much! When entertaining any future writing projects, you will be the first person I contact.
I can’t believe my good fortune to have found Tammy to edit my nonfiction book. I had narrowed down my editor search to ten; then I took advantage of their free sample offers. Nine of the editors were okay. Tammy’s edit, however, really showed her strength for detail and content development. I was absolutely wowed. She suggested, for example, how to improve the Introduction’s hook, added sentences that clarified a paragraph’s thought better, and deleted unnecessary words. She also mentio… Read more
Tammy Ditmore is an excellent editor. My writing improved grammatically, in structure, and clarity under her skilled eye.
I had a book manuscript that had a thorough edit by a copy editor, but there were many changes made and I wanted another set of eyes to look at it carefully. So I hired Tammy Ditmore to do a “final” proofread and flag anything that she found awkward, confusing or ill-fitting. That is a difficult job—to look both for errors and to comment, but that is what I needed. Tammy took it on and did a great job. Tammy also understands a schedule and finished the work on time—even ahead of time. Thank … Read more
Tammy Ditmore was the consummate professional. She was very humble in dealing with me and tailored her editing style to fit my specific needs. She was prompt and punctual with deadlines and was very open to communicating with me. I would hire her again in a heartbeat.”
Tammy is just amazing. Before my book made it over to Tammy, I had used two editors — one a well-known author in NYC. I was unhappy with the editing, and basically Tammy was my last try before I just set my book to the side. Not only did she totally understand my “voice,” but she reconstructed, added, and melded in ways I would have never considered. Use her, trust her. She’s the best!
I appreciate Tammy’s willingness to ask questions when appropriate, flex on deadlines, offer sound advice, and rewrite sentences or sections as needed. Her command of substantive and copy editing make Tammy an asset to any project.
Tammy Ditmore edited my book, The Quest for Distinction: Pepperdine University in the 20th Century. It was a huge assignment, requiring skills that set her apart from most professional editors. She recognized the key themes of the manuscript immediately and proceeded to examine each paragraph, actually each word, in light of those themes. The result was a briefer, more coherent manuscript that will be read with greater interest and understanding.
Tammy’s approach to editing was like telling a story to someone who listens very well and offers suggestions only when something is confusing or grammatically incorrect (or embarrassing).
I feared Mr. Fielder at one time.. When I was in advertising at Brownwood Bulletin,
I dreaded the days it was his turn for a visit.
I always sold him, but daang, I had to work for it.
Justification of price, placement and results were required, every time
And I felt beaten up with every sale! Whew!I would have to encourage
My self before going in to see him…”You know he’ll buy the ad, just go in there
And take it! You can do it!”. LOL. … Love him!
Lisa, sorry he terrorized you (I’m sure you weren’t the only one.) He was frequently irritated by the Bulletin. It wasn’t exactly known for “attention to detail” and that always bugged him. But he also loved to yank people’s chains — he still does, in fact. That’s one trait he hasn’t lost!