It has been widely reported in the last couple of days that there is now a blood test that can determine if y ou are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The question is then asked, “Would you want to know?” Setting aside the possibility of false positives, many people apparently would say “yes,” saying it could help them and their loved ones prepare.
It might be worth pondering if you would want to know, even as an exercise in attitude toward how we feel about having control in life. There is no point in any of us claiming that there is not some degree of control freak in us. On the other hand, I find I enjoy going to meetings more now that I am not in a position to chair them. I think one reason I like public transit is that, if anything is going to go wrong, there is nothing I can do about it anyway, so I just relax.
But knowing with some precision when someone else will have to take charge of my ordinary business of life? I honestly don’t know. But considering the question might be a way for any of us honestly to examine our issues around control in the here and now.