Month: July 2023

“Ready or not, here I come!”  I have vivid memories of playing Hide and Seek for hours every day.  It was a simple game, requiring nothing more than a player’s imagination.   Do children still play Hide and Seek?  Truthfully, I don’t know. 

What I know is that at 72 years old, I play Hide and Seek every minute of every day.  In my version of the game, my body hides its (previously taken for granted) skills from me and I have to find them.  For instance, tonight I had Italian Wedding Soup for dinner. The skill I needed to win was the one that allows my hand to get a spoonful of soup to my mouth without spilling it.  I lost tonight and currently I’m wearing half of my soup.

Every time I start any motor activity, I have to verify whether I can currently perform it safely or if Parkinson’s has hidden the skill necessary to perform the task. Over time, Parkinson’s has gotten better at hiding my essential skills, leaving me a long list of abilities I no longer have.

Frankly, I decided to quit the game and accept my losses.  I decided there would be no more trips to Mexico.  I cancelled my trip to Ireland.  I rarely went out.  I was miserable!  Then I remembered “Ready or not, here I come” and how much fun playing was. I decided I would never be ready again, but I would play, nonetheless.

I’ve put together monthly challenges. Having completed Challenge number one, 5 days in Atlanta, I’m on to Challenge number two, flying to Vancouver and boarding a cruise ship for a seven-day Alaskan cruise.  If all goes well with the cruise, then it’s on to Chicago; and, if I can find the skills necessary to enjoy driving to and spending time in Chicago, then Renee and I will return to Mexico in October.

We are never too old to play the game as long as we are willing to accept failure. So, “Ready or not, here I come.” I hope to see many of you in September!

It’s hard to believe that July 4^th has come and gone.  The 4^th has been my favorite holiday ever since we moved to Long Grove.  Our house was the first to be built on a large corn field.  The house sat on a raised parcel of land in the middle of the empty field with 360 degrees of unobstructed views.  Our first 4^th was magnificent.  Wherever you looked were the fireworks of surrounding villages. To our great surprise, there was a loud boom in our back yard followed by our own display.

Across the road from us, a country club was celebrating with a magnificent display of fireworks lighting up the sky. From that 4^th of July until the year we moved, the 4^th was the Segal’s time to party.  Eventually I built a pool, put in a basketball court, bags and volleyball and the 4^th became a 3-4 day party.

Fast forward to 7/4/2023 and Renee and I played Bridge with the neighbors.  We live in a 55+ community; and, as expected, the sky remained black with the occasional pop of firecrackers and bottle top rockets.  I often write about the “Used tos” and certainly celebrating the 4^th is a “Used to.”

So why am I writing about this?  Renee expected the 4^th to be a depressing day.  I did, too.  Surprisingly, it wasn’t!  Remembering the years of celebrations actually felt good.  Writing about the good old days no longer depresses me.  It’s time I live in the present and make peace with my disabilities.

I guess you could say I’ve declared Independence from Parkinson’s.  Parkinson’s will do what it will and I’ll adapt and enjoy what I can until I can’t.  Wish me luck in my new endeavor.

(As any of you know, Renee and I are planning to drive to Chicago in September.  It’s a long drive and we may not be up to it.  I’ll keep you informed as to when we will be there if my fantasy works out.  My plan is to lunch at the Scoreboard with my old friend, Joe, and hope to see many of you there.)