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Jacqueline Winterkorn! And thank you for sharing it - and os muxh of yourself - with us. As a 'newbie' I read it all with interest bordering on gruesomefascination bordering on terror! But I'll cope. With my friendds from the list. You do raise one issue I've not seen discussed here before, that is particularly bugging me just lately. On Thu, 2 Jan 1997 you wrote: > We might also record our experiences with social prejudice against > people who move or look funny: assumption--worst of all among doctors-- is > that the shaking hand means either you're drunk or demented, or both. I'm finding simple things like shopping and paying my bills more and more embarrassing. I feel such a goon when I can't put away my change; when my left hand refuses to release the goods when it - and I! - arrive at the checkout; when things just won't go into the silly bags I'm sometimes left to stuff them into; and when staff give me 'that' look that is somewhere amongst impatience/exasperation/frustration/pity. And when they bark at me to speak up. I feel like I need a big T with a list of 'rules' for approaching Parkies. Somebody did suggest a card for social situations (just something else fiddly to bother with) ... and anyway, truthfully I'm not so bad yet for it to be a real NEED. But let's just say I'm feelin' it. And I don't like it. I began to think about devising a short educational program to offer to retailers; of suggeesting marked checkout lanes with attendants wise to disabilities. There is a superficial awareness of the need to be aware of people with disabilities. But it is just that. Of course I've spesnt most of my almost 53 years pretty unaware of all this, too, and shudder to think of whwat damage I might have done others over time. Makes you think. And,did anyone else notice how fast the world goes now? what a rush everyone is in? on the roads, in the aisles, on the footpaths? And suddenly I not only can't but can't be bothered trying to keep up. Hope to hear more on this. Hope you had a great Birthday, Dr. Jacqueline Beth Leslie