Learn How to Party On, Dude

One of summer’s guilty pleasures is watching mindless movies. On a recent weekend, Jill and I watched “Bill and Ted Face the Music,” which is so egregiously and heinously bad, it’s good, dude. (This is how the time-traveling characters talk to each other. Needless to say, the dialogue is what makes it so bad/great.)

This movie franchise holds a special place in Jill’s heart. Her dad, who had Huntington’s, loved it. I still remember the day she told me her father loved how one of the characters in the original, “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” was referred to as “S0-crates.” (Bill and Ted pronounced Socrates, the famous Greek philosopher, as “SO-crates.” Bill and Ted, it must be pointed out, were not the brightest bulbs on the block. They are hilarious, though.)

I hadn’t seen the movie at the time, and laughed at the absurdity of the pronunciation. Of course, ever since then, that is how I have pronounced Socrates.

I bring this movie up because normally, Jill and I would have seen it in the theater. That’s what we have done in the past. But, as we all know, these are not normal times. So, we rented the movie on Google Play and watched it at home.

Do we miss going to the movie theater? Of course. Is watching it at home, in the comfort of our living room, a suitable substitution? Of course.

When life happens, you just have to go with the flow. Party on, in the parlance of Bill and Ted.

And yet, how can one “party on” when two members of your family — my wife and daughter — have Huntington’s? How does one go with the flow when the flow does not have a typical Hollywood ending — meaning, everyone usually lives happily ever after?

What inspires me is how Jill deals with life in general: She likes to party on. I don’t mean “party” in the sense of going to parties or drinking alcohol or acting out in wild ways. I mean she likes to live and laugh and enjoy the simple things in life.

She loves being around family. She doesn’t pine for expensive jewelry or fancy furniture. She loves observing our dog do funny things, such as going through a nightly routine of begging for a bone. She loves giving thoughtful gifts. She loves listening to music.

For those who are dealing with life’s anxieties and difficulties, especially caregivers, I suggest living as Jill does normally: with great simplicity and love and by being excellent to others. That’s the best and healthiest way to party on.

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