Yawn...

Oh, for the days when we didn't have to debate whether the extremes of our amendments were really necessary, and we could just have all of them and play nicely with one another, but alas... the idea of great power requiring great responsibility is out the window with the schizophrenic vitriol of both sides.

As a Parkinson's advocate, I need to be accurate of my experiences. I need to share my credentials (guy with PD sharing the knowledge I learn). I need to make sure I'm not spreading B.S. to people and being honest of the products I endorse (I get paid for nothing - though I did get an umbrella and cooler bag from Toyota, but I would support them for free). I can be funny and show human feeling, but I shouldn't use it to be divisive to my target audience. I also need to call out evil speech, but not insult it.... see Rush and Michael J. here.

When I think of Michael J. Fox, I see a man of class and commitment. If anything, he shows how we can face the enemy while educating and advocating against a guy who pretty much is a comedian talking the news in a full-on attack mode. I'm sure that it's possible to find people like him on the left. Michael Moore comes to mind. Even in a political world, Comedy Central could only sustain one nightly hate the Right show (and that 1 is terrible without Jon Stewart).

Nevertheless, I find myself more and more tuned out to the news. Not some of it... Almost all of it, and I'm a major history loving guy.

On one end, I see an endless anti-Trump swamp of news that's getting so redundant, it's hard to sift through it to find substance to judge (mind you, I'm a Never Trump). On the other end, I see an endless parade of counter attacks that feel just as rabid. It's like they get off on hating one another. It's now so bad that I can't read the news (though some parts slip through).

What's wrong with that? Is this part of the mission? Divide and conquer? Bait and switch?

Sadly, we've got nobody in the middle to support in the next election so that the 50% in the middle can push out a potential extreme candidate from either side's swamps.

I'm not asking for a compromise on the unethical. I'm looking for someone willing to cross the aisle and talk about larger issues that can be made better for all of us.

I sit here and think of my college law professor Bill H. (a brilliant man and former superintendent) talking about how most Constitutional cases are based on people who are pretty messed up (I've paraphrased his words a bit, but in his grandfatherly way, he implied that).

Ernesto Miranda, perfect example. You have the right to be read your rights because police were overzealous in obtaining his confession for rape and kidnapping. As he already had a history of rape, assault, and burglary, he was no angel. Obviously, as an ethical society, we want to be right in how we get it right, so now, our Constitution has been clarified to the point where the suspect who was later investigated for knifing and killing Miranda at a later date was given his rights (though he was never charged).

As a writer for Parkinson's (and sometimes the environment and education) I sit here and think about the power of writing. Opinions are a good thing, but anyone can have whatever one he or she wants, and in a world that mirrors Mike Judge's Idiocracy too closely, that's a dangerous thing. Sandy Hook conspiracy... perfect example.

I think about fact checking, and that doesn't matter anymore in a world that is just looking for what they want to see as it is flashed in headlines for clickbait.

Here, I think of Time Magazine. They have an emotional and powerful issue with immigrant families. People are upset that kids are being detained without their parents. Go figure.

Now, we get into the argument of illegal and undocumented,  but that's not the point here. I'm not here to argue that since this is about contemplating civility and reality in news.

The point is selling a cause to get people to buy it for its truth, not its lip gloss.

If you can tell me that you as a parent wouldn't try to give your kid, who is living in a really rough environment like a lot of places South of the Border, a better life, then you're lying. Why wouldn't you want kiddo to be given the opportunities of wealth, healthcare, education, safety, possibility, and dare I suggest an opportunity to take a Caribbean vacation and not just watch it from outside the compound? Consider that for many people in these conditions, they have nothing to lose. Think about how they get here - they pay off unsavory types for a dangerous trip that they may not survive to come to a country with no work skills other than minimum wage jobs they must do in secret since they're not "legal." Then, they support family back home while living in hiding here.

Who does that? If you were the father or mother, would you make the trip if you could afford it? I'm sorry if you don't like the "put yourself in another person's shoes" hypothetical game. This is real. If you think your kids of all ages wouldn't obediently follow you on your journey to wherever, ask yourself why young kids wouldn't follow their parents on this journey to survival as well.

Mind you, this isn't about whether we should or shouldn't allow this. It's that this is real, and it's happening now. What are we going to do about it?

This doesn't mean we let everyone in, but can we make it more possible and less dangerous? Besides, Americans love the benefits of cheap labor. That's why we've been allowing this for years. These people often do the jobs we Americans are "above" doing. Our system lets this happen. Why not work together to help one another and provide better options? There has to be a good solution to make something happen other than stopping it because "they'll all vote Democrat since that's who wants them in here."

Besides, lots of people are immigrating legally and illegally from all over the place to all over the place. Remind me to tell you about the time I got detained going back to Britain after my time in the Air Force, as I (and my girlfriend at the time) were grilled on "my intentions" (and that was pre 9.11).

But anyway... major crisis... both sides shaking their heads... find a solution... wrap this up nicely.

What does Time do? No, it's not the endless op-ed pieces painted like articles that appear any time anyone has an accusation about anything a border guard might have done, and sadly, they are everywhere (Why? Because people are listening to what it's assumed they might want to hear.). Instead, they took a picture that has nothing to do with the story and made it a cover story photo.

Thus, for those people whose issue is based around amnesty / human rights, you just lost credibility to a side that thinks this is somehow OK for a first lady to wear. Mind you, this is also the mindset that gave us a candidate who couldn't lose until she did.

Is it true that some people only care because Trump is doing the opposite of it? Yes. Social justice keyboard warriors and their right leaning equivalents (who did it to Obama) are empowered by hating their opponents just because. Many of them will forget this cause just like they did the Ice Bucket Challenge and Elian Gonzalez.

That said, other people really do care, and for this, they shouldn't lose headway for the sake of cheap headlines based on a foundation of poop (THIS APPLIES TO ANY CAUSE).

For me, I see my politics in the middle. I liked John McCain before he had to people please his Republican backers in 2008. Many of them elected him. Others hated him because he couldn't withstand torture by his Vietnamese captors (or so it was alleged). They were never going to like him, yet he had to dance for them.

WHY? 

In these later years in office, I like that he votes his conscience and stands strong. He's not perfect, but I respect him completely. I dread the day I wake up to his obituary.

Now, if you're sitting in Ma's and Pa's house Tweeting or you're just a person like me who has never been waterboarded or received any other vicious body damaging torture, you don't get an opinion on those who did.

And that's a lot of the point with the case of the Red Hen. If you don't live in the area or intend to drive there, how the heck can you write a review of the place? Does patriotism implore you to do such from your cross country home? Are you traveling there to do this as a special thing?

What are you getting in return for your money if you are? I'm not sure where you get the money, but when it comes to my money, I'm using it for a fun vacation.

Also keep in mind, I can't imagine one restaurant or service I couldn't replace if they said, "No people who tremor in this barber shop!" But that's just me. I'm trying to spend less time hating on stuff. I'd rather support a good place who cares, but then again, I'd rather purr.

Additionally, would Sarah travel to your sleepy burg or ville when it comes to standing up for you? Does she write Yelp reviews about the bad people out there? Injustices come every day. My cheese steak wasn't perfect. It's time to get her to speak up on my replacement one.

Granted, the Red Hen never should have asked Sarah "The Voice of the G.O.P." Huckabee Sanders to leave. That's not good for business, nor is it professional, and it's not like she was going to trash the table. She probably would have left a big tip, which could have benefited a gay right's organization.

While it would have been funny if the staff  played "Lying Eyes" until she did (I kid, I kid...), imagine if they took the amount of her tip and showcased it being sent to support a non-Trump candidate / organization.

But alas, creativity is dead. 

Apparently, we can't find The Eagles on Youtube, so I leave you with Pig Destroyer, who would chase everyone out of the facility.

Now, I get why the Red Hen did what they did (I wouldn't have - I would have posed for a picture next to her and made goofy eyes so I could showcase it on Facebook). Employees who felt particularly attacked by policies of the administration (homosexual rights) felt it went against their values to serve her. Fair enough. I get that, too. It's easy to counter hate with hate. Like Bartleby, they preferred not to put up with her. The manager chose to support them. Fair enough. If you don't want to come to the restaurant because of this policy, that's your choice and your right.

Just make sure it's the right restaurant you're attacking, and if you're told it's the wrong restaurant, apologize, move on, delete your comment, and take a "Net Etiquette" course.

Also, in this case, the boss chose to see her business as a "person with values and ideals." That's her right, and a very modern business kind of thing to do. I get it. We have to stand for something and so should her business. Because of this, I'm giving 10% of my income to the Human Fund.

However, when it comes to business entities, I was of the opinion that it wasn't left acceptable to see a business as a person.

Alas, I digress.

The point is that people have the right to protest injustice. Cool. Do your thing to support your thing as long as it doesn't involve "chicken poop" (this is real, and it's not protected speech) or hurting others.

Just make sure it's the the right restaurant if you're going to tell them you're not coming to their restaurant anymore. Don't be surprised if they look at you and think, "OK, I'll have a completely new audience to support me as soon as you go." It worked for the Dixie Chicks for at least a little while.

Anyway... yeah... learn to use the right search engine the right way. Apparently, a lot of people still don't know how to Google search. See THIS and THIS.

Nevertheless, the anti-Red Henners know how to celebrate Jack Phillips' right to refuse service to a gay couple based on his beliefs, which weren't just about cherry-picking Leviticus to justify one option not to serve one type of person. Apparently, his religious views beat the litmus test because he won in the final battle 7-2. That's pretty surprising when it comes to a lot of Leviticus claims in 2018.

In the end, the point here isn't to argue which side is right or spending all day being annoyed with hypocrisy. The solution you choose is your choice based on your values (and mine is based on mine). This is still America, and we are given the right to believe the world is flat (in a B.O.B., not Tom Friedman kind of way), even if it's not.

The first point here is that you get it right. Do your research. Challenge the other side respectfully. Don't lose your class by being a pain in the butt. Don't slander or libel. Don't yell. Don't lie. Your job is to be Jackie Robinson. When we see ANTIFA and Anonymous, they are warriors, vigilantes, and thugs. Who respects that? When we see the dogs and hoses turned on the protesters in the 1960s, we see martyrdom. Who wants to allow for that?

Think about it; which side stands for something real instead of replacing intolerance with hate and violence?

The other point is that the new so uncool thing that transferred from Left to Right is going after people's right to work. If you don't want to support Phillips or the Red Hen, fine. If you think one stupid act by a teenager / adult is enough to put them out of work for life, then you don't get it.

FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US.

The message is simple. Give people a chance to be better people.

But no... what matters instead? The only thing that matters is B.S. partisan politics and destroying a person just because. We make someone else suffer to justify our uptight self-important B.S. Too cool, dude. From the days of taking the attack to those who take the attack to them (Joe the Plumber), we've moved quite nicely in social media land. Anyone can hate / slander anyone in any way that he or she can imagine.

It's like the tweet response is either the unlimited posts of E.D. medications I have to delete from this site or some troll is hating someone else for something somewhere online.

That's bad enough, but now people are changing the question to a complete lack of sense..

"I know you're the wrong person, but you didn't answer the question, so you're in cahoots. Tell me now! If you don't agree with me, you are just as evil!"

Sadly, to ignore it is to allow it to fester, which is why we get conspiracies on Sandy Hook, Obama's birth certificate, and everything Alex Jones advocates.

Which leaves us in conclusion.

For Pete's sake, learn to discuss things civilly. Stand for something. Be ethical. Be respectful, and turn off the microphones on those who can't.

Better yet, just tune out all of the news and live life in a way that makes your immediate world better. Replace the babysitters with independent adults looking to work together.

20 Thoughts for / about Those Who Care for Parkies!

This is day 4 of my 21 straight days of posting to promote my blog (my dream of writing for more than just a hobby). During this time, I will be covering lots of other Parkinson's issues in my posts every day, so be sure to check back again at my Facebook page or this page soon (and see my greatest hits on the wall to the right)! In this time, Parkinson's topics to be covered are paralysis agitans + my great grandfather, sleeping studies + sleep apnea, dysphagia, physical therapy, my first emotional overload in Mexico, disabled not disabled, the Universal Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, responsibility of self to give up dangerous pursuits, National Parks passes for people with permanent disabilities, Kevin Hart + the joys / woes of people taking in our art, and hiking with Parkinson's stories, as well as other things that I do to stay me (baseball, music, writing, and other hobbies, as well as a few older stories that are going to end up in my Parkinson's book).

So... without further hesitation, here are my feelings on caregivers (significant others, family, friends, coworkers, passers by, and health professionals).

1. There are no rules on how to divide grief and suffering unequally in a family because we all get this crap sandwich equally. I may have Parkinson's and all its pains, but I don't get a front row seat to watch my body deteriorate or the knowledge of knowing that I will be the sole provider financially as well as physically for someone I love at some point in the future. There's a heck of a lot of emotions that go with that. A caregiver might not have tremors, but he or she gets to watch it all and not be able to do a dang thing about it. If you don't think that's painful, you're not seeing the tears for the grief and suffering.

2. We shouldn't get uptight if someone is trying to make us better in a way that we don't get.

If we think about it, we need to believe that most people want to help us improve our lives, even if they get the words wrong or talk to us in a way void of emotion (a pass we expect to be given AND SHOULD BE given for our raspy Parkinson's voices). They may have recommendations we don't have interest in (in my case medical marijuana to mask my tremors), but if they're offering things from alternative meds to Big Phrama's latest, it shows they're paying attention... unless they're just backdooring their own need to be stoned or they're a pharmaceutical rep getting paid on commission.

3. On that note, we should listen to George Clooney's life advice on David Letterman's new Netflix show. Whether you like his politics / movies or not, he'll inspire you, and that's what any good caregiver should do. Positive quotes videos go a lot further than another cannabis video (at least for me).

4. Many of us get worked up about ABLEISM, Is this a person offering to help me get down off a slick mountain trail as snow is coming down when said person knows I have Parkinson's? Is it a person who calls me a disabled person instead of a person with a disability? Is every person who mentions my condition guilty? Yes, it is our responsibility to teach People First Language, but we also need to live People First Lives. We need to enjoy our lives and show people we're just like Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, and Emile Zola by living our life and interests out loud! This goes for whether our hobbies are marathon running (like Jimmy Choi) or painting pictures. Like Nike says, "Just do it!" Ableism is trolls hating on us with malicious vomit. If you call me, "Shakes the Hiker" (my name for myself), that's not calling me a "shaky gimp with no purpose on earth." There's clearly a difference.

5. From a young age, we need to show kids what we have is an unfortunate part of life. We need to be age appropriate when we tell them what it is. When we can, I believe we should hide our fears since we need to be strong for kids, but when we can't, we need to let them know that they can comfort us, which will make us feel better. Making them a part of treatment empowers them with compassion, empathy, and medical interest. Besides, isn't our goal to educate and advocate on curing and caring for Parkinson's conditions?

6. OK, so thoughts and prayers are just that for some people. Maybe they work. Maybe they don't, but for people who don't know what else to say, these things show that:

A) they care.
B) they want us to get better.
C) our plight is something they actively want to help.

Whether we're religious or not, why should we get uptight about how someone else wants to do things like this? If someone wants to involve us in the ceremony, whatever, that's something different, but whatever people do in the privacy of their own home is fine by me unless it involves sacrificing a live chicken or praying to a Voodoo god (or the like) to actively intervene for my behalf.

7. This sentiment also comes out as the sad look and words of "I'm sorry," which we hear when we tell someone we have PD. I get that people don't know what to say. I wouldn't know what to say either, so things like this are "well-meaning" to me unless they're mixed with how this is a karmic punishment or a sentence from God for living a life that's out of line. That stuff should have ended with the aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials.

8. If we're going to educate and advocate, all topics are on the table. That said, if people can't handle things that are too intense, be respectful. Just the tip of the iceberg may be enough for some people. Remember, too, that it took us time to come to grips with DBS and our body's reactions.

9. If we need people to be strong for us, we need to be strong for them. Really. This makes us forget our plights and empowers us to overcome momentary pains.

10. Make life easy for those we love. Give them disclaimers and explanations ahead of time. If I could get overloaded in situations, then people already know about it. It's no biggie. Sometimes, it's easier to let them know, "It's not you; it's my Parkinson's." Help them to understand this, and when it's over, apologize for PD and do your best to give them your best. Unfortunately for my wife, she won't get new jewelry every time I don't want to deal with robo phone calls, but I'm good for hugs, love, and kind words.

11. Teach people to avoid junk news and conspiracies. This way, we don't get nonsense from them, and they don't feel that the FDA is hiding something that could save me tomorrow. If they don't understand meds, explain them to your caregivers. Also, tell them to do the Internet in moderation, and when they do go, go to a reputable site like the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

12. Teach them that not all medicines work for all people. Sometimes, we need bigger doses, or we get side effects. It happens. Medicine is a process.

13. Help sessions are good for Parkie caregivers, but avoid gripe sessions. Yes, it's important to hate on Parkinson's, but don't let it turn into, "My Parkie spouse / kid / friend sucks." That's not healthy.

14. Help us live well. Enjoy your time with us. We aren't going to die tomorrow. Understand what we can't do, but push us through our apathy to get out and enjoy life. We never know when King Kong, Ghidorah, and Godzilla are going to rage on the world. Until then, carpe diem!

15. Humor is a good thing, even if it's weird. I joke with my wife about it being a hate crime if she calls me clumsy. She always retorts with, "That's not PD; that's Dan." She's right. After all, I'm the guy who tripped over backward while trying to play the snare drum and tap my foot at the same time.

16. Express death wishes in writing via a living will. Do it now. There will come a time when someone will have to help you make medical decisions. Face that truth and make it happen. Also, confront how you need to know when to give things up (the car, your interest in hunting, mountain climbing, work, and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills).

17. Let people know what your current issues are. Even if you're not showing past tremors, they may need to know (see Parkinson's mask). By knowing your level of disability or whether you view yourself as "disabled" (some of us still don't see ourselves at that level), they will know how to treat / help us. Caring people will care. Haters will make us contagious and ugly with their troll-like words. It's best to find caring people and avoid the others.

18. Tell them how to help us prepare for the next stage or more intense future symptoms. Let them sit in with you in your doctor appointments if they're at that level of closeness. My wife gets front row or phone privileges for all of her questions. When the appointment is done, my parents get explanations as well, and then it goes out to the family. Since I educate and advocate, this goes blog viral, too.

19. "Till death do us part" and "in sickness and in health" are just words for many people until they aren't (though they should be a sacred vow). Hardly anybody thinks about wiping someone's butt until it happens. If you have someone who is there in good times and bad, be thankful and reciprocate the love. I know that I am and that I do. If you know someone who lost a significant other to this, try to be there as best as you can for that person. The same is true for people who lose fair weather friends or get exiled from the job. Some people don't get it, but if you do, be there and educate and advocate for your friend... as much as said person feels is appropriate.

20. If you're a caregiver, you're a helper and a hero to someone. Mad props for all that you do. Keep up the great work.

Thanks for reading!

This Glass is Half Full or How Not to Jump off the Handle at Well-Meaning Help

          One of the main concerns I see from many people who are disabled is to maintain a fierce sense of independence despite the obstacles that they face. I get this, both as someone who now has early onset Parkinson’s disorder and as someone who generally doesn’t want to rely on other people unless he has to. Nevertheless, I find that the older I get, the more I realize that we are responsible for families, friends, and communities. I don’t say this to be political, but rather, I say this because we should all want to be a community of like-minded individuals. We should want to make people smile when they’re down or teach them how to do things that they can’t do. We should want to barter our unique talents for their unique talents, whether buying things at Wal-Mart or getting someone to chop down the dead tree in my backyard in exchange for money that I made from teaching people to be better writers / researchers.

            On the trail, it’s easy to find greater obstacles if we’re suffering from conditions. This number of potential problems multiplies in winter. The snow and ice combine with steep cliffs and rocks on the ascents and descents along the mountain face. Add the rapidly descending darkness of dusk to the picture and WAHLAH! There’s a problem in our way. The question becomes, “How do we face this if we’re here on the trail and our legs / bodies aren’t what they used to be?”

            For me, this was real on Sunday night as I pushed up the face of Hawk Rock at Duncannon. This isn’t a big or steep mountain, but there are some rocky areas, and seeing as it’s been sort of cold, but not really cold, the ice on the rocks was the thin invisible kind. I had been watching my step on this all the way up. I chose not to wear my chains since people coming down with tennis shoes said there was only some patches of ice, but the chains wouldn’t help with it since they were too thin.

            They were right.

            Most of the journey was dirt. Sure, there was salt shaker snow sprinkled here and there, but it didn’t cover the ground in any capacity. Even up on the big push right before vista level, there was no snow of consequence, though there was a seriously iced-over rock in the woods, but even that was an outlier.

            Nevertheless, the invisible ice was slippery. My Keen boot took a slide over one rock, and I doubled up care, wedging my foot against the next step and in the crevices of rocks while choosing leafy sections of the path over straight up stone whenever possible. Through rigid knees and chesty congestion, I made it to the top just as another dad, son, and dog passed me by on their way to the view, huffing it up before dark. Fortunately, an in-shape person could do that mile-long gradual ascent / descent in no time, provided he or she was confident on the rocks.

            When I got to the top, the son was looking to get close to the edge for the best pictures he could get. Dad wasn’t in the spirit of letting him risk an icy drop for a digital image, but the son was really into the multiple views. As he skirted the line between safe and in danger, Dad and I spoke about hikes and the like. The subject of Parkinson’s came up, and well, it was getting darker and darker, so I had to ask if I could have the rock really quickly for a couple fast snaps and a picture of myself so I could get it before it got too dark.

            I wanted to clear the big rock patch before dark.

Sunny pictures from July 2015

            Dad agreed, and I made my shots lickety split so I could get out of there. As I was doing it, the father asked if I wanted him to wait for me so I would be safe getting down.

            I help up my wrist to show my shakes, and I smiled as I said, “I may have this, but I’ll be OK. Thanks for asking.”

            I wasn’t hostile, mean, or stand-offish. In fact, I appreciated the concern. I’m glad they asked. Sometimes, a little help goes a lot further than no help. If he would have thought I’d refuse him callously, he might not have asked. Why raise someone’s ire with a question that falls on aggressive ears? However, he chose to be a community and to help a fellow hiker down.

            I appreciate that since it shows he cares enough about someone he doesn’t know to want to be responsible for someone else’s welfare.

            Some people get really upset at people who want to infringe on their independence and not call them by the right name (People First Language). However, I’m trying to see things from the perspective that most people are just uninformed.

In my life, I’m trying to do a couple things differently. First and foremost, I’m trying to look on the positive side. Most people who want to talk about my issues know as little about them as I did when I started out. To most average people, if they know about Parkinson’s, it’s Michael J. Fox, tremors, and medical marijuana (an offer that really annoys me, but alas, that's a whole different post). They don’t know dopamine. They don’t know that medical marijuana is not a ticket to a cure (instead, it’s a way for them to feel that I'll get all Bob Marley without the tremors so that they can get all Bob Marley, too, despite having no medical marijuana needing conditions). They don’t know about what’s being done to find a cure for it, though they might know stem cell research, a vague concept, is involved. They may not always see my tremors. They may tell me I look good despite this. They may think I’m too young to get this. They may think I’m too active for this. They may not see my other symptoms. However, they don’t know what to look for because it’s not them.

Thus, my need is to educate people. It’s not always about taking them for bathroom visits to show how bradykinesia slows things down to constipation. Sometimes, just listing symptoms without gory details is enough. People who are willing to listen are people who are willing to understand and share knowledge. By the way, if someone ever told me I was too young too have Parkinson's, I'd agree, but I'd educate them that we're all too young, and my early stuff made me 1-15,000 or so unlucky. Boy, talk about losing the lottery!

My job is also to be positive about this. My job is to be energized as well. Number one, I need to avoid rigidity. I could feel that on the trail in my knees on Sunday, but now for having walked, I feel better since my legs are worked again. Here, being energized shows people that not all people with disabilities are inhibited by their condition, though some people are. Thus, making a choice to be energized is being a role model to myself and others. I should note that I had thought hard about driving home without stopping after the Standing Stone Trail Club meeting, but I didn’t. I needed to push my tubby butt up the mountain. Right now, I can feel my big ol’ belly getting bigger. That needs to change. I can feel the call to the vista, and really, I’m so much happier on a mountain top (cue the Hendrix “Voodoo Child”). To sum it all up, if I’m not pushing hard, then I become a stereotype. Personally, I don’t know what to be with regard to fulfill my Epictetus role as a person with a disability, but I definitely don’t want to be a stereotype.

Thus, my job is to show people what it means to be people first. Many able-bodied people aren’t. With their Bonbons and their 64 ounce boss bottles of soda, they don’t live life to the fullest. They don’t choose to live life. That stuff is anathema to me. I may have to give up some things in life, but I’m not giving up the ship. Additionally, if I can motivate me, I can motivate them. Thus, they should choose to be a person first. Then, they’ll see the importance of the words. I’m not tremors or eyes that don’t blink or an every other day visit to the bathroom. I’m Dan. I’m a husband. I’m a teacher. I’m a son, a friend, a writer, a hiker, a music aficionado, and a goofy me. I may happen to not be able to smell some of my own gas (a side benefit of Parkinson's), but I'm not sciatica, dystonia, and freezing.

Here it’s important to note that these people don’t know all of our “politically-correct lingo” or symptoms managements / discussions. They know diseases and conditions, but they don’t know how we fight to be seen and understood. As a result, we need to gently educate, not start riots or tantrums when people don’t get these rigid rules. We can’t assume they know (the vast majority who aren't recently college educated don't) since then we would be making an ass out of them and us. Besides, the maniacal levels of conform or die PC theocracy are getting out of hand. I’m willing to be 99.99% of all people who say “disabled person” instead of “person with a disability” aren’t throwing hate or trying to put me out to pasture.

They simply don’t know, and it's our job to show them how able we're willing and capable of being.

And that brings us back to people who want to help others out. It’s our nature as a species to care. We just forget about this since so many people are too selfish to think about anyone other than themselves. In the same way we want the right to be independent and able, we can politely refuse and be thankful for the touch of humanity when people offer things for us that we could and should be doing ourselves.

And that’s what I felt slowly moving down the mountain, using my Black Diamond poles to hold my balance and get down the staircases, rocks, and paths, which glowed in a ghostly manner as I descended back to my car in the rapidly darkened early evening. All in all, it was a great hike, though only about a 2 miler. Still, any day above ground, any day in the woods, and any day learning is a great day, especially one without falls and bruises.

On that note, may all your trails be awesome adventures, whoever you are.

PS – to the person who asked me if I wanted help, thanks. Had the trail been really icy, you would have had a companion.