At 07:18 PM 3/29/98 -0600, you wrote:
>"With relative uniformity, PD patients are described as industrious,
>rigidly moral, stoic, serious and non impulsive."
>
>Twice this past week I've had to remind someone close to me about my
>"Parkinson's mask." Although I may be insanely happy, unless someone
>knows me what they see is a very serious face - stoic, rigid. The voice
>they hear is not the voice with which I speak.
>
>Given a test, most of us would not pick the answers that reflect an
>uninhibited lifestyle, not because we don't want to, but because we just
>
>flat out can't. I'm no longer the "life of the party." Once I would
>check yes to that question. Not anymore, because I know that people tend
>
>to wander away from conversations with me. I don't "look" like I'm
>having a good time or that I'm laughing at jokes so, when asked, I would
>
>have to say "not very much" about my level of social activity. I wonder
>if those researchers took this aspect of PD into consideration, or they
>just assumed that the PD face and the PD desire to stay home bears the
>true reflection of our personality. Humans, and other animals for that
>matter, take the physical clues of personality into consideration before
>
>we interact with others. The way we walk, hold our hands, the expression
>
>on our face, are all acting as a subconscious signal to others about our
>
>moods and that is reflected back when others interact with us.
>
>And if the analysis of their research were based on personality tests,
>which they claim, why would they assume that we have always had the same
>
>personality? There are "personality types" for smokers, drug users,
>Republicans, people who buy white bread, even for people who write to
>listservers. Statistics can prove anything. Ninety-nine percent of the
>people who develop PD drank milk when they were children. One hundred
>percent of us have inhaled fumes from motorcycles.
>
>Totally unscientific, but a better measure of personality, would be the
>study of the emotional content of the messages posted here. Of the 1,300
>
>(is that right?) folks registered on this list, probably fewer than 100
>are repeat contributors. Those 100, while not a true cross-section of
>the PD community, just flat don't fit the "rigidly moral, stoic, serious
>
>and non impulsive" stereotype with which the researcher try to stamp us.
>
>One thing that really upsets me is for scientist (and sociologist and
>psychologist and all the other "..ist") to fit me into a mold. We are as
>varied as the weeds in my yard and, for that, I am thankful. We may look
>stoic. We may sound serious. However this is one time that, just because
>something walks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it isn't necessarily
>a duck.
>
>It's enough to make you quack up.
>
>--
>Jerry Finch
>The Official PWP Dumpster Gang Hideout
>http://www.newcountry.nu/pd/
> face mask. this is don or the I.Y.Q. kid i will tell you what i did to
get smile on my face as you see on my web page i took vivian hand mirror
grinned till my teeth hurt tried to smile now it did not happen over night
if i reamed it took almost year of greeting my teeth and all know what i
got smile i was clown of of our group. kissed all girls danced was just one
big clown. but after 26 years of pd my nero says  32 any how i don't live
my house much now but try like i did nothing to loose let me know some day
hang in there we are same person I.Y.Q.