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What a great story. I guess our friends from down under are really on top of life. Thanks for sharing the tail. -----Original Message----- From: Dennis Greene <[log in to unmask]> To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN <[log in to unmask]> Date: Saturday, January 10, 1998 6:18 PM Subject: Ghosts and visibility >What follows is a longish personal anecdote with some relevence to >PD. > >I went on a "Ghost Walk" on Friday night. > >In this instance a Ghost Walk is a 5 km trail in the Darling ranges >just west of Perth. It follows part of the route used 100 -130 >years ago to bring felled timber from "the hills" down to the >Channing river to be barged to Fremantle and then shipped to the >world. The GW, organized by the local council, entails walking >through the cool of a moonlit summer night, and meeting the ghosts of >real people from 100 yrs ago. The "ghosts" were played by council >staff and members of the Heritage Society. As we encountered them >along the trail they brought the past to life with anecdotes about >'their' troubles and triumphs, the things they did, the things done >to them. > >It was a magical night, made more so by an unexpected encounter with >a ghost from my own past. To put that in perspective I'd better >explain one or two things. > >First - the trail is down a steep escarpment. Second - whilst most >of the 5 kms is along a well made gravel road, parts of it involve >very steep, narrow paths with uneven >going under foot. It's not really a place for a PWP in "off" mode, >though well within the capabilities of this one in "on" mode. Third - >the walk, including being bused to the start point, was scheduled >from 7 pm - 10 pm, a time when I often get little value from my meds. > Fourth - I'm a gambler (but not, in this case, a stupid one; I >explained my situation to the organisors, who happily agreed that I >could wait with a "ghost" for transport, should the going prove too >tough). Fifth - before PD robbed me of my balance, I used to train in >these hills with the SES (State Emergancy Service) a volunteer search >and rescue organisation. > >Back to the night in question. By forgoing my evening meal I arrived >at the rendevous point in "on" mode. As we approached the gathering >of 'ghost hunters', I was surprised and happy to see that amoung them >were 3 or 4 members of my old SES unit. As the last time I had seen >most of them was at a reunion in late '96, comments were passed on >how much better I was walking since my pallidotomy (in April '97). > >The walk commenced with my 'on' firmly establised. Our group of 20 >walkers mixed and mingled and soon I lost immediate contact with my >wife and daughters as we explored the past. An hour into the walk I >found myself slowing down and tending to fall behind. This, >fortunately did not affect the main group as I was able to catch up >during the meetings with the ghosts. As the distance grew longer >between me and the group I became aware that the "ghosts" of my own >past were also out that night for I was never left alone. Always with >me was one or other of my friends from SES days. Not once was I made >to feel that I was a burden; not once did anyone suggest I stop; not >once did anyone offer to actively assist me, even when towards the >end I was walking on willpower alone. They treated me exactly right >and proved to me that to those with eyes to see we are still visible, >still important, and still very much part of the present. > >(BTW, my family had not abandoned me. All through the evening they >periodically touched base with me.) > >Dennis. > >************************************************* >Dennis Greene 48/10 >[log in to unmask] >http://members.networx.net.au/~dennisg/ >************************************************** > >