One In A Million

                                                                               ONE IN A MILLION

                                                                                   “Humor Me”

When I was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s all my thoughts were about having to go through life living with a tremor. Little did I know those pesky tremors were just the tip of the iceberg, and I was headed full speed into that iceberg with Bachman Turner Overdrive playing “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” on the deck of the USS Reality. Unlike that other famous ship that slammed into an iceberg, my ship did not sink, it leaked a little around the eyes, but it held strong and stayed afloat.

This journey known as Parkinson’s Disease is a pain in the rear, I had no clue what was in store for me four years ago when I was diagnosed, all I cared about was the tremor. Now getting off the toilet has become a new Olympic sport, it’s called “The Porcelain Pommel Horse”. A competition of man against gravity, requiring unbelievable strength, balance, and agility, of which I have none. Now that I am thinking about it, it might make a great YouTube video. You might think,” it must not be that bad, he’s making jokes about it”, and you would be wrong. When I sleep my arms get tangled up under my body, and I feel as if I am a Harry Houdini trying to get out of the Chinese Water Torture Cell as I fight to untangled myself in the morning. All kidding aside, I am going through stuff that I don’t even understand, yet here I am, sense of humor intact.

I have been blessed or cursed depending on your point of view to have a very quick wit, and if I say so myself, I am pretty damn funny, at times of course. My sense of humor has gotten me through a lot, high school (bullied), Divorced (could write a book), Raising teenagers in my late twenties (worth it all), Marrying an older woman (Here’s to you Mrs. Robinson), and now PD, it has served me well. Humor is a medicine that has no taste (literally), comes in all flavors (kind of contradicts the first statement, look past it), it can be highly contagious, but it doesn’t require a mask, and be aware that too much good humor can lead to incontinence, so laugh accordingly.

 When I was in High School, I took a World Literature class, not a big deal, but I had gone out of my way to avoid classes that required any effort, so that one caught up with me. As a class we were each given a piece of paper randomly with a subject title on it. We were then instructed to write 300-word essay using the title we had been given, due the next day. I slowly opened my little piece of paper to see what title I was given, and low and behold it read, “The Joyful Sound Laughter”. I don’t remember what I wrote, but I do remember the teacher holding mine back to read out loud. The class was in shock as he read my essay, the girls thought I was sensitive and the guys thought I was…. let’s just say, they thought I was sensitive too.

So here I am forty-five years later writing about humor again, but this time it’s different. I am not showing off, so girls would like me (it didn’t help). I am giving back to those who have given me so much, those who inspire me and love me and understand who I am, those who fight by my side, your laughter is my best medicine, your smiles remind of what true courage looks like. You are family, because only family would put up with me and my lame attempts at humor

If you don’t have a sense of humor, get one, if you lost your sense of humor find it, and if you have a sense of humor share it, words to live by.

   By: Mark Hitechew