I was sitting down to write about one of Ralph and my typical bittersweet interactions (a story that will have to wait) when I glanced at my on-line NY Times and saw this headline: Trump Attacks Merck Chief Kenneth Frazier for Quitting Advisory Panel

I admit I felt a swell of emotion when I read the article that followed.

 Like most Americans, I have less than warm feelings about the pharmaceutical industry,  which has caused much of the rise in health costs here. While Merck is behind the Alzheimer’s study Ralph is participating in, and which I have written about here as seeming to help Ralph, I never really thought much about the company itself. Just another giant corporation to distrust.

And like most Americans I was deeply distressed by the events in Charlottesville this weekend, and particularly distressed that such unapologetically violent expression of racism, homophobia and xenophobia is becoming normalized here. I am no fan of President Trump, but I really did hope he would put ego aside and rise to this occasion.

As Mr. Frazier tweeted, in quitting the President’s panel, “America’s leaders must honor our fundamental views by clearly rejecting expressions of hatred, bigotry and group supremacy, which run counter to the American ideal that all people are created equal”

According to the Times article, Mr. Trump quickly sent a nasty tweet in response. The fact that Mr. Frazier happens to be black only adds to the drama. As I am writing this in real time, I realize that when you read this post, the news of the back and forth between the President and the CEO will probably by old hat.

But sitting here about to write about my daily private life with Ralph and Alzheimer’s, the news feels very personal. I never thought I would be proud to be associated with a drug company, and yet here I am bragging of that association.

Aren’t life’s interconnections strange and wonderful.