I struggle with the whole “new normal” concept. Every time I hear it, I cringe. Somehow the term reminds me that I’m not what I used to be. I’m something less: less quick, less perceptive, less able to do the things I want to do. Coming to grips with that loss, for me, is a daily struggle.
It seems that Michael J. Fox has gotten beyond all that. In a recent interview for Parade magazine, he seems to have moved beyond feeling sorry for himself or embarrassed at the obvious physical signs of his Parkinson’s disease.
The article quotes him as saying “People ask me, ‘Does it bother you when you shake in front of people?’ No. It sometimes bothers me when I can’t do what I want, but I don’t give a damn how it looks.” According to the interview “his attitude is good-humored and accepting. He neither complains about what his illness has done to him nor frets about what lies ahead.”
I’m not sure how they came to that conclusion, but it’s sure a goal for those of us who’re wrestling with this new normal monkey on our back (or in our head).
I guess what I admire the most about him is that he’s raised $250M for Parkinson’s research through his Michael J. Fox Foundation.
To put that in perspective, I’m trying to raise $350 for the ABTA through the Breakthrough for Brain Tumors 5k fun run/walk, and haven’t gotten very far.
If you haven’t read it, here’s a link to the Parade magazine article: http://www.parade.com/celebrity/celebrity-parade/2012/04/01-michael-j-fox.html?mbid=NS040212&mbid_source=newsletter&mbid_content=parade
And if you feel so inclined, here’s a link to my Breakthrough for Brain Tumors fund-raising site (we’re team “Johns Tumor”) http://hope.abta.org/site/TR?fr_id=2270&pg=entry
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