2008 Woodie Awards
Newspapers Can Be a Source For Art
Bailey Triggs
Issue date: 11/25/03 Section: Arts
"Yes, Dillard's would be lovely, sweetheart. Let's get going."
Apparently, they were out shopping in Ocala and ended up driving all the way to Panama City, said Karen Himebaugh, a Panama City front-desk clerk who befriended the couple.
Mack pulled the Buick into the Dillard's parking lot and stopped. During the 10 minute drive to the store Helen had been silent, nervously planning what she would say at this moment.
"You know what," she turned to face him with a sudden nervous energy though she had choreographed the move in her mind to be one of calm decisiveness. "I'm not really in the mood to shop at Dillard's. Why don't we go check out some other stores?"
"Other stores? But we always go to Dillard's."
"Well, it's time for a change then, don't you think? Here, you can be the pilot and I'll be the navigator. It will be great fun. A little adventure just the two of us. I can't even remember the last time we had one." Mack mumbled something unintelligible that she took for assent. Reaching into the glove compartment, she pulled out a well-worn map of Florida and began searching for the fastest route to Ormond Beach.
Mack Dykes Jr., the couple's son said he was relieved his parents were safe.
"I thought my mom had died. She's been very sick," he said. He had reported his parents missing after last seeing them about 5 a.m. Monday.
The elder Dykes, a retired Navy corpsman, suffers from Alzheimer's disease and would not have been able to find his way home without his wife, the son said.
"Where are we?" After an hour of driving, Mack was anxious to get to the store.
"We're just an hour away from the beach, honey." Helen threw the information out there as casually as she would gaze into the sky and tell her husband it looked like rain.
"The beach?" For a moment she was afraid he would forget to look back at the road, he was staring at her with such bewilderment.
"We are going to the beach; don't you remember?" She was so ashamed at herself that she was unable to speak above a whisper. For the past year, everyone had been telling her husband that his mind was going. Alzheimer's disease was the quick diagnosis.
Apparently, they were out shopping in Ocala and ended up driving all the way to Panama City, said Karen Himebaugh, a Panama City front-desk clerk who befriended the couple.
Mack pulled the Buick into the Dillard's parking lot and stopped. During the 10 minute drive to the store Helen had been silent, nervously planning what she would say at this moment.
"You know what," she turned to face him with a sudden nervous energy though she had choreographed the move in her mind to be one of calm decisiveness. "I'm not really in the mood to shop at Dillard's. Why don't we go check out some other stores?"
"Other stores? But we always go to Dillard's."
"Well, it's time for a change then, don't you think? Here, you can be the pilot and I'll be the navigator. It will be great fun. A little adventure just the two of us. I can't even remember the last time we had one." Mack mumbled something unintelligible that she took for assent. Reaching into the glove compartment, she pulled out a well-worn map of Florida and began searching for the fastest route to Ormond Beach.
Mack Dykes Jr., the couple's son said he was relieved his parents were safe.
"I thought my mom had died. She's been very sick," he said. He had reported his parents missing after last seeing them about 5 a.m. Monday.
The elder Dykes, a retired Navy corpsman, suffers from Alzheimer's disease and would not have been able to find his way home without his wife, the son said.
"Where are we?" After an hour of driving, Mack was anxious to get to the store.
"We're just an hour away from the beach, honey." Helen threw the information out there as casually as she would gaze into the sky and tell her husband it looked like rain.
"The beach?" For a moment she was afraid he would forget to look back at the road, he was staring at her with such bewilderment.
"We are going to the beach; don't you remember?" She was so ashamed at herself that she was unable to speak above a whisper. For the past year, everyone had been telling her husband that his mind was going. Alzheimer's disease was the quick diagnosis.
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