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I've been diagnosed with PD for just over a year now. Untill recently, I hadn't realized how much I'd stopped going out in public. Every day, I get up, go to work, come home, bop around the net for a bit, and get what sleep I can. Next day, second verse, same as the first. Why? Before PD, my wife and I went everywhere together. I went with her to her clay studio and watched her work. She had a class at night, I went and listened (and often helped). She had a meeting or dinner, I waited outside the meeting room or had dinner with her. Why the change? I'm afraid. I'm afraid of what people will think of me. This is real silly comming from a guy who's been in a wheelchair since age ten. I'm constantly being stared at by teenagers who should know better, (if yer gonna stare, smile and mean it then say hello) or what's worse, being totally ignored as if I'm invisible. "Mommy, what's wrong with him" and "Do your legs hurt?" come from small children. What hurts are the "Shhhhh! He'll hear you!" and "Be quiet!" responses from parents. Of course, there is the "be good, or that will happen to you". Then there was the adult who asked "Can you get out of that chair, it's really inconvenient." (You had to be there, I guess, to understand.) The point is, why do I suddenly care what people think of what I look like? Why am I suddenly afraid? I'm 44 years old, bald, with a pot I cannot get rid of. I've a nose that's too short, big brown puppy eyes, and have never been considered handsome (my wife says I'm cute, God bless her). I can't go anywhere without a 25 pound metal mobility aid. I'm used to being different. So why the fear? I don't know. And as of today I don't care. I'm gonna go back out into the world and spit in it's eye! Spiders scare me. Closets scare me. The world never has. I came into this world short a few things. Not knowing any better, I climbed on, took holt, and hung on in spite of what I was told. Well, life tossed in a ringer and I fell off. Who hasn't? I'm gettin' back on, and with a bit of help, just may managed to stay on a while. Marvin