Author Richie Frieman was attending an Alzheimer’s walk to honor a friend’s father when he heard Dennis Myers share his story about living with young-onset dementia and finding hope through an unlikely friendship with two other men. Dennis, Jim Hursey, and Mike Razzi had met through a support group and dubbed themselves “The Optimistics,” choosing to celebrate their bond rather than focus on their devastating diagnoses. Richie couldn’t stop thinking about these three men from different backgrounds who had opened themselves to vulnerability and brotherhood in ways that defied traditional masculine expectations.
What started as a chance encounter became a life-changing journey as Richie gained the families’ trust to document their stories in his book “The Optimistics.” Through months of attending support group meetings, Richie witnessed not just the three men’s friendship but discovered an entire community of people facing young-onset dementia with courage and grace. The experience transformed Richie’s understanding of what truly matters when Dennis shared three simple but profound words: “Time is important.” Though the group lost Jim in 2025, their legacy continues through Richie’s book, which honors not just those living with dementia but the care partners who love them, proving that even in life’s darkest moments, optimism and human connection can create light.
