What a sweet piece! The cragginess of his voice, the little twist that his wife has Alzheimers, the little production touches that add, but don't go overboard.
All I can say is, after listening to this, I only hope that, if I get into a similar situation, I'm half the husband Ed is.
What a sweet, simple, and brilliant work of radio art! A piece this short that captures the essence of a man's life is worth praising. I'm sure the producer had a hard time deciding what to leave out. But I applaud the choices he made because they pluck the right heart strings. Great use of background sound and music.
Makes you want to pick up the phone and find out how's Ed doing these days, or simply tell someone "I'm thinking about you".
This vivid piece takes me back to the days where I would sit and talk to my grandmother, time would stand still and life would be calm.
Ed Werler's account of how he met the second love of his life, and how their life together is now that she has Alzheimer's, is different and inspiring.
Alzheimer's stories often focus on the cruelty of the disease, but Birkeland's piece focus on the sweetness of love, and how you can hang on to that even after the onset has come far enough to require long-term care.
Life will be good if I can experience love like this.
A lovely piece. An elderly man tells his story, of finding love and marriage again late in life. His wife is then hit with Alzheimer's and institutionalized. Personally I really enjoy listening to this sort of intimate, quiet and revealing tale. By the end I certainly want to hear more. A short piece like this and the follow ups or furtherances are the sort of thing I would like to hear over a period of weeks or months even.
What a truly lovely story. It just re-iterates yet again that great radio is only about great "talent" and in this respect the wonderful Ed Werler was everything you could ask for for the subject of a radio portrait.
I would have loved to hear his story stretched over a half hour block - with actuality in the background, it could have held.
His gentle, humourous tone transformed a sad story into a poignant one and this is certainly a piece that will touch a chord in most people. Its a story about life and love and nearing the end and how the essentials in life can stay with you right till the end. And I'm truly grateful to hear that there's still a chance of a heart fluttering new romance in one's 70's.
Well done for putting out a personal story so gently without any uneccessary razzamattaz.
“Hard to Say” is a bittersweet experience. It is sentimental, but in a way that draws you in. The speaker is so earnest and dignified that his story feels highly relevant and close to home to a person of any age (at least it did to me, and I am in my early 20s). It left me staring out the window for a while.
The piece is beautifully edited with music and ambient sound. The narrator is very easy to listen to, and he captured my ear from the beginning. I felt as if I was right there listening to him. I really enjoyed this piece!
This is a real good example of careful editing, and obviously very competent interviewing and recording of a subject - this man must have felt very comfortable with the producer. The nice thing about using this on the radio is that, if necessary, it could be used without any introduction or talk-out - it's completely self-contained - and it could probably make a few listeners' days, too. Not too short, not too long - just right.
In today's "fast-paced" world, it is difficult to take the time to appreciate the love we are blessed with. Ed Werler's tender account of the love he shares with his wife Martha reminds us of the importance of those precious moments spent dancing around the kitchen. When Ed reveals that Martha now has Alzheimers, it becomes even more clear why he must "renew old memories"; this surprising twist makes the piece even more poignant.
On the technical side, Bente Birkeland eloquently crafts this story with great sound and editing. I especially love his choice of "Sentimental Journey," which brings us back to a time of big band music, dancing and old-fashioned romance. This is my grandparents' song, which I sang at their 50th Anniversary celebration; I imagine it has similarly strong associations for many listeners.
"Hard to Say" would be perfect on Valentine's Day, but I would love to hear it at any time. Even in the middle of a standard broadcast, it would bring people away from their day-to-day stresses and serve as a great reminder of what truly matters in life. I am sure that everyone listening could not help but be inspired by Ed Werler's profound devotion.
This is an amazing, sweet, and touching piece of radio. It is so well produced, containing many tiny surprises, reveling moments, and unexpected soft turns to the story.
This is a self-narrated story of how an elderly gentleman, named Ed Werler, met his second wife and cares for her now that she suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Ed is humble and tender, telling his story directly, yet with a bit of shyness. The production is impeccable, demonstrating the courage and confidence to let the story unfold naturally without giving away its best bits too early or getting too sentimental.
Though it may seem odd, it is probably best for stations not to set-up or introduce this piece as an "Alzheimer’s story"--that gives away too much of the story and sells short its potential. Play this as an unexpected bit of spice around Valentine's Day, Sweetest Day, or just about any time a story of true love would make the world seem a little less crazy.
I defy anyone to listen to this piece without getting at least a small lump in their throat. It’s so crammed with beautiful images and poetic insight there’s hardly a second of flaccid tape. It invokes a whole sentimental, “old-fashioned” world where a kiss on the cheek still put you “on cloud nine” and people dance to big band in the kitchen. There is plenty of sentiment here, but there is wisdom, too. This could play in the context of love stories, old age, Alzheimer’s and loss.
Poignantly titled, this sentimental journey, under which a big band version of the song plays, would be perfect for Valentine’s Day or an Alzheimer-related moment. Ed, ninety at the telling, gently shares, through brief, visual details, a portrait of his second marriage and of his wife’s deteriorating condition. His subtle optimism as he says, “I live here alone at the time,” hooked me right off the bat. He describes building their kitchen so they’d have plenty of room to dance, and we hear in his happy chuckle how much they love to move together. His wife now lives in a facility, but is still present enough for the dancing to continue. This is a journey –– beginning in the kitchen, moving to the facility, and ending with the “hard to say” allusion to an unknown future. The ending feels a little abrupt, but otherwise, it's a lovely 6-minute slice of humanity.
Comments for Hard to Say
Produced by Bente Birkeland
Other pieces by Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
Rating Summary
13 comments
Doug Nadvornick
Posted on July 25, 2005 at 04:16 PM | Permalink
Review of Hard to Say
What a sweet piece! The cragginess of his voice, the little twist that his wife has Alzheimers, the little production touches that add, but don't go overboard.
All I can say is, after listening to this, I only hope that, if I get into a similar situation, I'm half the husband Ed is.
Emon Hassan
Posted on April 29, 2005 at 07:51 PM | Permalink
Review of Hard to Say
What a sweet, simple, and brilliant work of radio art! A piece this short that captures the essence of a man's life is worth praising. I'm sure the producer had a hard time deciding what to leave out. But I applaud the choices he made because they pluck the right heart strings. Great use of background sound and music.
Makes you want to pick up the phone and find out how's Ed doing these days, or simply tell someone "I'm thinking about you".
Michael Morton
Posted on February 01, 2005 at 01:29 PM | Permalink
Review of Hard to Say
An elegant reminder that the simple life can provide all the meaning one needs.
Lene Johansen
Posted on December 05, 2004 at 10:23 AM | Permalink
Review of Hard to Say
This vivid piece takes me back to the days where I would sit and talk to my grandmother, time would stand still and life would be calm.
Ed Werler's account of how he met the second love of his life, and how their life together is now that she has Alzheimer's, is different and inspiring.
Alzheimer's stories often focus on the cruelty of the disease, but Birkeland's piece focus on the sweetness of love, and how you can hang on to that even after the onset has come far enough to require long-term care.
Life will be good if I can experience love like this.
brian moffatt
Posted on November 18, 2004 at 05:40 PM | Permalink
Review of Hard to Say
A lovely piece. An elderly man tells his story, of finding love and marriage again late in life. His wife is then hit with Alzheimer's and institutionalized. Personally I really enjoy listening to this sort of intimate, quiet and revealing tale. By the end I certainly want to hear more. A short piece like this and the follow ups or furtherances are the sort of thing I would like to hear over a period of weeks or months even.
Dheera Sujan
Posted on October 01, 2004 at 01:27 AM | Permalink
Review of Hard to Say
What a truly lovely story. It just re-iterates yet again that great radio is only about great "talent" and in this respect the wonderful Ed Werler was everything you could ask for for the subject of a radio portrait.
I would have loved to hear his story stretched over a half hour block - with actuality in the background, it could have held.
His gentle, humourous tone transformed a sad story into a poignant one and this is certainly a piece that will touch a chord in most people. Its a story about life and love and nearing the end and how the essentials in life can stay with you right till the end. And I'm truly grateful to hear that there's still a chance of a heart fluttering new romance in one's 70's.
Well done for putting out a personal story so gently without any uneccessary razzamattaz.
Anna Goldman
Posted on July 02, 2004 at 06:47 AM | Permalink
Review of Hard to Say
“Hard to Say” is a bittersweet experience. It is sentimental, but in a way that draws you in. The speaker is so earnest and dignified that his story feels highly relevant and close to home to a person of any age (at least it did to me, and I am in my early 20s). It left me staring out the window for a while.
Scott Gurian
Posted on June 27, 2004 at 01:39 PM | Permalink
Review of Hard to Say
The piece is beautifully edited with music and ambient sound. The narrator is very easy to listen to, and he captured my ear from the beginning. I felt as if I was right there listening to him. I really enjoyed this piece!
Marjorie Van Halteren
Posted on June 27, 2004 at 11:43 AM | Permalink
Review of Hard to Say
This is a real good example of careful editing, and obviously very competent interviewing and recording of a subject - this man must have felt very comfortable with the producer. The nice thing about using this on the radio is that, if necessary, it could be used without any introduction or talk-out - it's completely self-contained - and it could probably make a few listeners' days, too. Not too short, not too long - just right.
Lauren Capp
Posted on June 03, 2004 at 08:15 AM | Permalink
Review of Hard to Say
In today's "fast-paced" world, it is difficult to take the time to appreciate the love we are blessed with. Ed Werler's tender account of the love he shares with his wife Martha reminds us of the importance of those precious moments spent dancing around the kitchen. When Ed reveals that Martha now has Alzheimers, it becomes even more clear why he must "renew old memories"; this surprising twist makes the piece even more poignant.
On the technical side, Bente Birkeland eloquently crafts this story with great sound and editing. I especially love his choice of "Sentimental Journey," which brings us back to a time of big band music, dancing and old-fashioned romance. This is my grandparents' song, which I sang at their 50th Anniversary celebration; I imagine it has similarly strong associations for many listeners.
"Hard to Say" would be perfect on Valentine's Day, but I would love to hear it at any time. Even in the middle of a standard broadcast, it would bring people away from their day-to-day stresses and serve as a great reminder of what truly matters in life. I am sure that everyone listening could not help but be inspired by Ed Werler's profound devotion.
Eric Nuzum
Posted on May 31, 2004 at 11:29 AM | Permalink
Review of Hard to Say
This is a self-narrated story of how an elderly gentleman, named Ed Werler, met his second wife and cares for her now that she suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Ed is humble and tender, telling his story directly, yet with a bit of shyness. The production is impeccable, demonstrating the courage and confidence to let the story unfold naturally without giving away its best bits too early or getting too sentimental.
Though it may seem odd, it is probably best for stations not to set-up or introduce this piece as an "Alzheimer’s story"--that gives away too much of the story and sells short its potential. Play this as an unexpected bit of spice around Valentine's Day, Sweetest Day, or just about any time a story of true love would make the world seem a little less crazy.
Jonathan Goldstein
Posted on May 23, 2004 at 07:32 AM | Permalink
Review of Hard to Say
I defy anyone to listen to this piece without getting at least a small lump in their throat. It’s so crammed with beautiful images and poetic insight there’s hardly a second of flaccid tape. It invokes a whole sentimental, “old-fashioned” world where a kiss on the cheek still put you “on cloud nine” and people dance to big band in the kitchen. There is plenty of sentiment here, but there is wisdom, too. This could play in the context of love stories, old age, Alzheimer’s and loss.
Sydney Lewis
Posted on May 21, 2004 at 12:47 PM | Permalink
Review of Hard to Say
Poignantly titled, this sentimental journey, under which a big band version of the song plays, would be perfect for Valentine’s Day or an Alzheimer-related moment. Ed, ninety at the telling, gently shares, through brief, visual details, a portrait of his second marriage and of his wife’s deteriorating condition. His subtle optimism as he says, “I live here alone at the time,” hooked me right off the bat. He describes building their kitchen so they’d have plenty of room to dance, and we hear in his happy chuckle how much they love to move together. His wife now lives in a facility, but is still present enough for the dancing to continue. This is a journey –– beginning in the kitchen, moving to the facility, and ending with the “hard to say” allusion to an unknown future. The ending feels a little abrupt, but otherwise, it's a lovely 6-minute slice of humanity.