About me
PROFILE:
I have been writing poetry and stories since I was a child, and a love of reading was instilled in me from an early age. I am passionate about writing, and hope you enjoy the books I have written. Whilst most of you sleep soundly in your beds, like many Parkinson’s patients, insomnia dictates, so during those hours that sleep eludes me, the house is tranquil and quiet, an atmosphere perfect to immerse myself in writing. My life has been a series of strange events, which have without doubt contributed to my creativity. To publish anything is to bear one’s soul to the world. It is to stand naked and let everyone see who you really are. I have poured my heart and soul out on paper and I hope to share this journey, immersing you in a story, capturing your attention and firing the imagination. Through my writing and public speaking I hope to bring greater awareness to the general public about living with chronic disease.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
To speak or not to speak
I bumped into someone in a shop
who I haven’t seen in a while; hugging me warmly, she kissed my forehead, and
asked in a lowered concerned voice, “why are you in a wheelchair?” I hesitated for a moment, not
quite sure if to tell her the truth that I have Gaucher and Parkinson’s, but
decided it was too much information for an acquaintance to take in.
I didn't have the emotional energy to start explaining my whole story
to her, and then have to expend further more energy in comforting and
reassuring her that I'm OK! It always makes me laugh, when I find
myself consoling other people when they hear my story! This has happened
before, and learning from experience, occasionally I find it better to tell a ‘white
lie’, so sometimes it’s just easier to say that my legs are not too good
and there’s too much walking for me in a mall. This may sound feeble, but it
usually satisfies someone who doesn't really want to know and is
merely making conversation is just an acquaintance or a person you are never
going to meet again. I once made the mistake of telling a curious chatty
shopkeeper who insisted on asking me what was wrong, and as soon as I mentioned
Parkinson's (I didn't manage to tell him I had a rare chronic disease called
Gaucher as well!) he then went on to lecture me about what to do and which
doctor to see. Desperate to extricate myself from his well-meaning but
misguided help, I couldn't leave the shop quick enough. The same applies when someone asks me
“how are you?” I have to quickly surmise who really wants to know, and who is
just being polite, preferring me to just say “fine thank you”. I tell you, it's
often hard work knowing when to speak or not!
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