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hi dennis you wrote: >I went on a "Ghost Walk" on Friday night. >...I was surprised and happy to see that amoung >them were 3 or 4 members of my old SES unit. >s 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)....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. sometimes i think we are inundated with so much negative news and 'catastrophizing' and 'awfulizing' that we are surprised when something sweet happens to us dennis, i'll bet dollars to donuts if you imagined 'the tables were turned' and you were able to switch places with one of your buddies that you would treat him exactly the way they treated you with kindness, consideration, and love and that you would admire his 'grace under fire' and hope to be able to follow his example should circumstances necessitate 'walking a mile in someone else's shoes' can take a lot of thought, sensitivity, and awareness but sometimes the result of such an effort can open our eyes a bit wider to see the miracles that we all are my own eyes were opened recently when i [prudently - as it turned out] booked my flight from bermuda/boston/ottawa and requested wheelchair assistance in case i was 'kicked out' this is sure to be old news to the full time 'wheelees' on this list but i was amazed at the difference in reactions to me the 'wheelers' were all terrific and wonderfully helpful but in the eyes of the general public i had became 'crippled' uncomfortable to look at and acknowledge as a sister human hardly anyone looked me in the eye except [ego-free] children your cyber-cybling janet janet paterson / 50-9 / sinemet-selegiline-prozac / [log in to unmask]