and the one I found
No, this is not a love story, a heartbreaking expression of regret over any one relationship that has reached an unfortunate end. Or an attempt to spill my heart out over a past lover I am missing because of the gloomy weather.
CAPACITY!!!!!!!
That was the word I was anxiously looking for the other day during a discussion with some friends. Simple word, common I dare say. And it came to me a good six or seven hours later. Much help it would be at 3 o’clock in the morning. It’s not like I could call anyone – or even text them for that matter – and say “you know that word I was stuck on earlier tonight? Well, it’s…” Besides, I even ran the risk of forgetting what I called for while I was calling. That would be embarrassing, not to mention waking someone up in the early hours of the morning on a school night would be extremely rude.
No, this is not a Monty Python inspired post. Although I do love them. And the post does include reference to silly walks. But no parrots, dead or otherwise. I promise. This is an update of sorts. MS related. On the changes in my life over the past year, slow changes at first and drastic changes over the past two months or so.
For better or for worse, social media has become and integral part of our lives. Companies such as Facebook and Twitter control our lives (whether you have signed up to them or not, but that’s another discussion). Dictating what news we get, what opinions we hear, what we believe, and, to an extent, determining our actions. Because – and let’s be serious here, there aren’t that many exceptions to this rule – should someone start a challenge of some sorts on these social networks nowadays, and that challenge goes viral, you’d be a social pariah not to participate. And age or education level have nothing to do with whether you participate or not.
Please bear with me. I won’t get (too) philosophical. I promise there is a real world equivalency here. Something that, I hope, will help you, and perhaps others, see things my way.
30 May 2018, the day on which I write this post, is World MS Day. The global slogan for this year is #BringingUsCloser, closer to, according to the campaign, ending MS.
One of the things I keep coming across lately is how upset some multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are with people that tell them that their symptoms “happen to everyone.” To be clear, I personally ignore such comments. But the frustration of those patients with the lack of understanding from their audience about their condition is understandable. Perhaps because the statement gives rise to expectations that MS patients can and should perform just like everybody else. Or at least in the way expected from everybody else.
There comes a time when you run out of excuses for not doing something you should have been.
That time is now.
It may have been a love song. Long before Cat Stevens became Yusuf Islam. But in this case it is much closer to reality. And that is frightening. I try not to take a vocal political stance. Don’t get me wrong, I am a political being, just as everyone else should be – because apathy is not an acceptable option (just ask my friends). And because I am political I am taking a stance.
I do realise that it’s been a while since I posted anything. Yet again. But I meant to. Honestly. And I am not one for making up excuses – well, apologetic excuses that is. But, I do have one. Cognitive difficulties!
