Joe Y...

Far from mere "ramblings, Joe!  I'd never thought about being
"over-Parkinsonized," but by golly, I'd sure hafta agree with that.  We're
swamped here with 24-hour-a-day-seven-day-a-week PD information, insights,
questions, answers to those questions,  folks asking for information that's
been posted and reposted here dozens of times already and is in the archives
(IF anyone with only a modest technical background could figure out how to
access the archives) <grin>, PD survey-after-survey, Udall-Bill-stuff, and on
ad infinitum.

No WONDER so many of us suffer from chronic tiredness! <grin> WHEW!!   And is
it any wonder that periodically we seem to go off half-cocked here and toss is
jokes and other silliness to lighten the mood?

I feel you're correct, in your analysis of the situation, both here, and the
one you've used as a reference (Interesting story tho!).   And I appreciated..
no... make that "enjoyed" your mesage a lot.

Barb Mallut
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----------
From:   PARKINSN: Parkinson's Disease - Information Exchange Network on behalf
of Albert Young
Sent:   Sunday, December 08, 1996 12:24 PM
To:     Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN
Subject:        Ramblings

First a little story.
Some thirty years ago I was president of a small, local, Historical Society.
The reason for it's existence was that a small, German, religious sect
emigrated
in 1804 and built a small village here in Western Pennsylvania.  In 1814 they
sold it to the Mennonites, moved to Indiana and built another small town.
This
they sold to Robert Owens in 1824 and moved back to W. Pa and founded Economy,
their last settlement.  The society dissolved about 1906 (they had adopted
celibacy and so just petered out).
At the time I'm referring to, early 1960's, there were many people living
who's
parents lived during the later period of the"Harmonites".  Folk Lore abounded
(always more interesting than the facts).  I proposed talking to some of the
more senior residents, have children of members of the Society and High
Schoolers take tape recorders and interview those who were willing to
participate.  My purpose was twofold.  1. To get the kids involved in their
local history.  2. To correlate the stories to see if mutual threads could be
obtained. A second project was to survey all the buildings in town to
ascertain
which ones were original.  They only used about 4 floor plans and they
prefabricated and stored the parts until needed.  I could not get either of
these projects off the ground.  The reason??? 'THEY ARE TOO MUCH HISTORY'!!
The membership's idea of the function of the Historical Society was to baby
sit
a couple of buildings and taking visitors through on week ends.  Those lovely
folk tales went to the grave, untold.
Now you might rightly ask  "What in h***'s name does this have to do with
us"!!!
Well at times I feel that some topics or projects are ignored because "IT'S
TOO
MUCH PARKINSONS".  Now before I am burnt at the stake for heresy, let me state
that in no way do I want to infer that what appears on this List is trivial or
inconsequential.  I personally have learnt a tremendous amount from all of
you.
 It just appears to me that when ever some one attempts to leap over the wall
to
deal with subjects other than our immediate concerns i.e new drugs, dosages,
symptoms, horror stories about neuros all of which I agree to be of the utmost
importance, we seem less than enthusiastic with our support and encouragement.
I refer to Dale's GRASS ROOTS, Ernie's SEX SURVEY (Ernie, more appropriate
title
NO-SEX SURVEY???) Margaret T.'s request for members State info.  Marjorie M's
more ambitious project, a world wide survey, a map with pins stuck in to
indicate concentrations of PWP.  I reached the age of 60 never having met a
PWP.
 The first one I met, unfortunately,  was myself.  Does this mean that I was
raised in an area where PD was not prevalent?  Does it mean I was to
self-centered to have noticed it in others (a possibility)"  Does in mean that
when I moved to a different locality I became more susceptible to it?  Yes,
you're right.  These questions can probably never be answered, but oh to have
people willing and ready to ask them.  We will never find a mutant gene that
is
the cause of our problem;  never discover a miracle drug; never be on the
cutting edge of research; but by keeping the pressure on, letting people other
than our selves know that we are aware, interested and not willing to be put
on
the back burner who knows what can be achieved.
Let's get behind any or all of our members when they are willing to put their
time and energy into a project.  Not "Apathy" but "Application" is what is
needed.
Sure.  Maybe it is just whistling in the dark, but who knows?  Somebody might
hear and light a candle.
Joe Young (64 dx 92)
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