Finding opportunity in adversity

When Jean told me we were going to take our web site on the road and present it at the Power Over Parkinson Conference in Phoenix, my initial reaction was, “Not me.” Public speaking has always terrified me, and the thought of addressing an audience of 300-plus people did nothing to allay my anxiety.

I have spent my career writing words others speak, but my aversion to public speaking went deeper than not wanting to venture outside my comfort zone. It spoke to the unwarranted sense of embarrassment that I and most other Parkies experience when we are the focus of attention and our disease symptoms become visible to others.

I was at a crossroads. I could opt to spend the rest of my life in hiding, surrendering to this disease that has already stolen too much from us; or refuse to let Parkinson’s define who I am. A friend told me that my actions could encourage other PWP to come out of the shadows and improve their quality of life as well.

Jean assured me that my “humorous” experiences with Parkinson’s would resonate with the audience, and volunteered to be my “straight woman” for our presentation. Sure enough, the audience was laughing before I finished my first story, and they kept laughing. Their response energized me and I knew I had found a new outlet for expressing myself.

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Focusing on the things that we can do, rather than those that we can’t, allows each of us to find opportunity in adversity, and discover new interests and abilities to enrich our own lives and those of others.

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