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There is an old story that was told to me when I was a child about cooking a pie. I no doubt have the characters mixed up and some of the expressions slanted, but the basis still holds true. Mrs. Hen was walking around the barnyard and became hungry. She wanted to bake a delicious blueberry pie but, after looking in the pantry she found that she needed a few items. She went to Mrs. Cow and asked for some milk. "I'm too busy right now," said Mrs. Cow. She went to Mr. Goat to ask for some blueberries. "I think I ate all of them and I'm too tired to pick anymore. Sorry," said Mr. Goat. And on it went. No one, it seems, had the time or desire to help Mrs. Hen fix the pie. She went ahead, all on her own, and that evening the smell of fresh blueberry pie drifted across the barnyard. The cow came, the goat, the pigs, the horse, everyone, it seems, wanted a slice of pie, even though no one had been willing to help make it. That slice of pie, to me, represents my PD. I can approach the chance for a cure by either sitting here, paranoid about being ripped off, or educating myself about who is doing what and giving my full support to the PD org that I feel has the best chance of solving my problem. I'm only 55 (senior discount at Denny's!!). If someone finds a cure in the next 5 years, I have a real chance of enjoying myself before I die. I can get out of this damn chair and go back to living the way I want, not the way PD dictates. Every time this list gets involved in this discussion it turns out that someone has something negative to say about every PD org in existence. They refuse to back one because some executive embezzled money, they didn't like the president of another, some org slighted someone, and we end up blacklisting all of them. So no money is donated, we have no seed money for grant proposals, we have no funding for research, the NIH spends all their money on other types of neurological problems and, because of our lack of support, a PD cure remains a dream. Essential Tremors will probably be cured, maybe spinal cord injuries become a thing of the past and I will be sitting here 5 years from now, shaking worse than I am, taking Sinemet every 2.16 hours, because we didn't get up when we could, and help fund the research for PD. And, before someone mentions it, yes, I am saying, "Me, me, me." I WANT A CURE FOR ME! If I want to eat blueberry pie then I had best help in the only way I can, by getting in the kitchen and help make it happen. I once had a lot of friends here. This message will probably upset some of them. Good. This is MY opinion. If you don't agree I really don't care to hear about it. Instead of complaining, then YOU come up with some positive ways to funding research. YOU get out and raise money. YOU beat your head against the wall because folks on this list had rather resist and bitch and cry than be proactive. Ask yourself, do you REALLY want a slice of the pie? What are YOU willing to do to get it? As for me, I'm tired of listening to all the moaning and complaining about how bad our lives are and how Oprah ignores us the Pope won't bless us and some actor won't say anything to us. I've been with this list since the first day. Today, I am leaving. I've had all I can take from those who refuse to work, yet want all the rewards. The negative attitude that permeates this list does me no good. The anger I feel toward do-nothing complainers makes me shake worse. I'll be working for my pie while I still have a chance. Signing off, Jerry Finch Jerry Finch -- Help us save the horses! Habitat for Horses, Inc. A lifetime home for abused, endangered horses. http://www.habitatforhorses.org/