Day #26
Can you see the real me…
There’s no denying things change when you have a chronic disease… Modifications to your lifestyle and routine are inevitable as your condition advances, and you learn to roll with the punches and adapt to your new normal. I sometimes catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and wonder “who’s that old guy looking at me?”
Despite having Parkinson’s Disease, I still feel young…at least mentally! This leads me to my topic for today… How do you see yourself, and how do others see you?
Many of my friends are lifelong…going back to the days of growing up in a small Village in Upstate NY. Back then, we played ball, rode our bikes and spent countless hours exploring the woods and creeks that were everywhere in that rural setting. Later, as music came into my life, another world opened up, and more lasting friendships were formed…
Relationships came and went, and I was blessed with two Sons…
I set out from that small town and embarked on a career in music that continues to this day. Through luck and good fortune, I’ve been able to earn a living doing something that I love for most of my adult life… I realize how rare it is to be able to make your passion a vocation and am mindful of that gift every day.
There’s an entire set of friends that have come into my life since Parkinson’s who have never known me without my constant companion. They didn’t see the young man in his prime jumping around on stage in front of thousands of people, playing venues across the country…What they see now is a much slower version, in local clubs, still doing what he loves despite the limitations of this disease…
Truth is, both of those images have merged into one… The spirit and love of life is intertwined with the realities of a debilitating physical illness… There are times when that old man in the mirror is replaced with the image of a young man, ready…willing and able to take on the world! At other times, the reflection is that of a man showing the ravages of his disease…
I sometimes detect a fear in the eyes of my friends that I’m just now beginning to understand. The same reaction you would have at the sight of an automobile accident…Part of you wants to look away and have nothing to do with it, while another part is drawn to it with a morbid fascination. I, myself feel the same way at times…
The primary reason why I’ve chosen to do this month long series of posts is to raise awareness of Parkinson’s… A very large part of that involves realizing that a person with Parkinson’s, or any illness, is still the same person! The disease does not define them! They had a life before their illness, and will continue to have one! Look beyond the physical and emotional aspects and see the person inside…
The two merged together… Just trying to get along on their journey…