What does one say about a man that he never knew? I could say that he was awesome, or that he was smart, or even that he was the greatest man the world had ever seen. I could say those things, sure. But why would I? I wouldn’t have known any of this. Just who are we talking about in the first place?

Dr. Prayag Dutta Tripathi, my grandfather. How did I not know my grandfather? Well, I can’t say I never knew him. I do not remember knowing him. I’ve been told he was a very intelligent man, he had a Ph.D in Literature. Sure, I knew him when I was young, we played together. I think. He was, however, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. For those of you who don’t know what Alzheimer’s is, it’s a type of mental disorder in which people forget their lives, slowly. It’ll start with, “Where are my keys?” then, “How do I use a spoon?” and finally, “Aghjsafodksvn.” As long as I can remember, he didn’t know me. Soon after forgetting who my family was, he forgot how to talk, then walk, and finally eat. We visited him regularly in his room in the Nursing Home. I would always sit by the side, not sure what to do. My grandma was always tearing up next to his bed, and Dad was either trying to console her or watch in silence. He would always make me and my sister hug him before leaving, and my grandma would always pretend he could still remember us. She was a very religious person, always prayed to him and for him.

He used to have a Wikipedia article on him, I think. It was only a few sentences long. I don’t know who wrote it. I was once told a story that while he lived in India, these thugs were robbing everyone’s cars and breaking windows. He was the only one in the neighborhood who walked out of his house and asked them to politely stop and question their motives (I’m hoping he sounded a bit like Nelson Mandela). Of course, he ended up with a bat to the head, but it proved he wasn’t someone to just stand by and watch. He understood Einstein’s quote, “The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”

I guess I want to memorialize him. 99.99999999999999999999999% of the world don’t know him, so why not make that a 99.99999999999999999999998%? He wouldn’t want me to make things up about him, according to my dad, so I won’t tell you how he was a great man, or an intelligent and independent gentleman. He would want me to write though, that I know for sure. I’ve been told many stories of how he’s inspired his students (He was a professor) to write, and always write.

On July 5th, 10:35 PM, my grandpa, Dr. Prayag Dutta Tripathi passed away. I hear he liked to read, but loved writing more. I hear he always stood by my grandma and their children, and that he would look problems in the eye and say “I’m not afraid of you.” I hear he liked to say:

“Never rely on blind faith. Always act upon reason.”

Want to learn more about Alzheimer's?
Visit http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp