It's harder than it seems. I shouldn't have a problem with public speaking, particularly when the topic is something I'm passionate about like multiple sclerosis. But here I was, amid fellow MSers, activists and lawmakers, at a loss for what to say. The event was a Legislative Luncheon at the state Capitol, put together by… Continue reading Getting the word out
Month: March 2011
Comedy is tragedy plus time
Funny, they never tell how how long this little formula for humor takes. How much distance you need before the sharp edges of a prickly reality dull somewhat. When it becomes palatable, these painful treatments, the uncertain future, the broken body. Multiple sclerosis is really no laughing matter. But I can have a chuckle at… Continue reading Comedy is tragedy plus time
Here comes the sun
It's been a dreary few days here. Spring sprang for all of three minutes, that tease. And then rain and cold. Bleak. Blah. So out with the sweaters again. But nothing, not even SAD-inducing weather, is going to put a damper on my life right now. Not even busted NCAA brackets (and if you've seen… Continue reading Here comes the sun
Reefer badness
I am intensely curious about the origins of quite random things — from Post-Its and sushi to wooden shoes and certain psychotropic drugs. Really, who was the first person to think that smoking a plant was a good idea? The thought never would have occurred to me. Cannabis sativa. Known colloquially as marijuana. Also goes by pot,… Continue reading Reefer badness
Hot off the presses
I was fortunate enough to get to write an article in our statewide newspaper about parents with disabilities (it runs today in the FamilyStyle section). I was even more fortunate to get to talk to two fellow MSers who have been giving this disease hell for far longer than I. It's encouraging to see these comrades… Continue reading Hot off the presses
The shot heard ’round the house
I knew it was bound to happen. Nearly six months into treatment, I am experiencing serious shot fatigue. We've not exactly been vigilant in following the when of the injection here lately. It's supposed to be every other night, but I think we've gone about three days without doing one this past week. The where… Continue reading The shot heard ’round the house
Faugh a Ballagh
I didn't realize it until I woke up this morning and got ready for the day that I really don't have much green in my wardrobe. Black in every shade? Check. A bunch of gray? Check. But no green. And no orange. Which poses a slight problem, being that this is St. Patrick's Day and… Continue reading Faugh a Ballagh
Art and advocacy
I have been so privileged in my life to be around the arts — what a supportive, embracing world it can be! I have been dancing since I could string three steps togehter, and kept going all through college. I quit after that, but through my very dear friend and mentor, Jennifer, got back into… Continue reading Art and advocacy
The last to leave, the first to try
Watching the horrors unfold in Japan, I'm struck today by the technicians at the Fukushima nuclear power plant who stayed behind. As everyone else was evacuated, these 50 or so operators crawled around in white jumpsuits with oxygen tanks strapped to their backs, trying to stave off further reactor trouble. Radiation is a given at… Continue reading The last to leave, the first to try
Ramble on
What is it called when you get off an airplane? What is that body of water that is sometimes man-made and doesn't travel? Hell, what is that muscle in the top part of your arm? I've forgotten all of these in the past week. Week, people. Word retrieval has long been the bane of my… Continue reading Ramble on
One, Wild & Precious 