Monday 10 June 2013

Risking being yourself with Parkinson's

I’ve found the most frequently commented on and noticed physical symptom of my Parkinson’s is my tremor; it is more apparent than my rigidity or slowness, which are more noticeable as a feeling inside me based on memories of better movement; a tremor allows for a more external and physical comparison with those without a tremor.

In a sense my tremor sends out advance warning that there is something different about me. I only arrive as a person (and not as a disease) after the tremor has set up initial communication. Other people are free to greet my tremor as me without noticing the marching band playing the music of who I am, which accompanies my later arrival. This is an inevitable risk of meeting new people: others might judge me or reject me based on my symptoms. However, that “might” includes a “might not”; others may see me alongside my symptoms. 

The only way to eliminate the possibility of rejection because of Parkinson's is to hide yourself away, therefore discarding the possibility of acceptance; thus, rejecting yourself before anyone else can.

Anyway, why would you want to spend time with someone who only sees your symptoms?

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