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Rick - What a positive message. I also, play the piano. It is my life and I don't know what Id do if I were to become incapacitated. Of course, there are some people on the list who feel sorry for themselves, and who is to say they don't have the right to do so, but I hope your post will also uplift and encourage them. Best to you. Jo Ann On Sun, 26 Dec 2004 22:22:42 -0500 Rick McGirr <[log in to unmask]> writes: > I used to complain a lot. I guess I still do. I used to have a > roommate who would tell me, "Just be happy in your work." Well, > fine, > but now I'm facing a future where my chosen work will not be > possible. > Or will it? I have spent my adult life as a piano player, and my > skills will probably continue to erode. If I can no longer play, > the > one thing that has brought me joy, as well as income, how can I find > joy? By staying in music. I have an aesthetic which is valid. Why > can I not express it by using studio recording methods, or by using > software as a tool for notating my compositions? I can also help my > son, also a musician, by being his studio engineer and mentor. > > Sure, I've lost, and will continue to lose, but I still thank my > lucky > stars that I don't have a host of other conditions that I see as > worse > than my PD. And even if I can't be the 'star of the show', maybe I > can even have more influence behind the scenes. I also have a > really > good life, and a wonderful, beautiful family, and I rejoice in them > every day. > > I have been receiving lots of fine advice from some people on the > listserv, and what it boils down to is that I should do a lot of > research on PD, find something that I can do to provide income and > fulfillment, and not fret about what I can't do anymore. I know > that > if my favorite athletes can start over after they retire, then so > can > I. I figure I have to be smarter than at least half the pro > athletes > in the world. Some of them do well, and some of them don't. What's > the difference? Attitude. Attitude is also the key factor in a > sales > career, or any other endeavor. > > I have also received advice from someone who does not have PD, but > has > plenty of problems resulting from an accident and many surgeries. > His > road has been a tough one, and he will suffer permanent loss of some > ability. The minute I mentioned to him that I had PD, I got a > lecture > about not feeling sorry for myself, not for one minute. I thought, > well, this guy is ten times worse off than I am now. How many years > do I have before I get as bad as he is now? And when I get that > bad, > he has shown me that I can fight on and on, if I have the strength > of > will. I have resolved to keep plugging, not give up, to hang around > if only just to be a pain in the ass. > > I have a lot of admiration for people like yourselves, who have come > through hell and still have the same determination, that if life is > going to try to take you down, you're going to fight to the last, > and > make as much of a mark as you can, either in public, or in the > family, > or wherever. Face the worst with courage, and you will be > remembered. > Face the worst with humor, and you will be looked up to, especially > if > you're really tall, like me. > > Anyway, today I will settle for my situation over that of the > average > residents of coastal areas of Sri Lanka. > > Thanking my lucky stars. > > Enjoy! > Rick McGirr > Email: [log in to unmask] > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn