Eight years ago, PD ended my surgical career. I learned from MJF’s books then and I applaud his bravery now as he describes the “up close” impact of progressive disease. Well-written. Interesting anecdotes. Lots of humor in the face of tragedy. His message of hope remains but he claims to be “out of the lemonade business.”
MJF is arguably the world’s most prolific Parkinsonian writer since KD. Oh, who was KD? That would be a one-time shepherd boy who slayed a giant named Goliath. He went on to become the King of Israel. King David has recently identified to be the first described person with Parkinson’s. With a broad brush, his life events have been duplicated by many of us: PD forced retirement; a period of remorse; psychological readjustment; new career with a great impact. A documentary booklet (Parkinson’s First Hero) is free on Amazon Kindle for the next four days.
I applaud MJF for his ongoing life’s work. I recommend his new book. However, I came away feeling a bit short-changed in the end. The subtitle is An Optimist Considers Mortality but the MJF clarity that we have grown to expect was lacking. Mortality is a painful subject. Next chapter?
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Tribselyov
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I was also diagnosed 8.5 years ago. I read MJF's first book before I was diagnosed, and re-read it after diagnosis along with his second one. I finished his new book the other day. I was struck by how physically disabled he is at this point of his life and amazed at his determination to have as full a life as he can--his determination and continuing optimism, clouded a bit by reality. He writes about a very tough year for him-- 2 surgeries and grueling rehab on top of coping with PD. He is fortunate to have the love and support of his family, and the ability to afford full-time at home care when needed.
I felt he recognized all he had at the end of the book. I copied these words of his in my inspiration file:
“The truth is, I don’t want to live life this but I have found a way to accept the fact that I do. For every perilous trip across a room, when my meds are off and my steps are halting and erratic, there are also times when it all slips away. In those moments, like this night with my family, I feel joy and contentment. In those moments I have everything I need."
He's always been a great inspiration and he still is. I'd think it ill advised and missing the point to even consider attempting a hardball type of review. After all, you know what John Maynard Keynes said about the long run.
He said it to criticize many economists self-apologetic facetious remonstrances to cover their bad theory, that said highly destructive and displacing economic dislocations in the short run based on poor monetary and fiscal interventions and practices would eventually even out over the long run, if the long run was sufficiently long enough... Without specifying how long, but meant to cover huge periods for recovery such as the Great Depression, of which there were actually one or two every dozen years going back a century and of course the latest one only being "cured" by the mild advent we call WWII...and generally meaning beyond one's lifetime. Although he said it better, the idea that he debunked was that a catastrophic depression or inflationary spiral was okay if you just could manage the wherewithal to wait out the dislocation...rather than preventing or reducing it in the first place...and assuming you survived long enough... and to him thus begging the question "in that case why even have economics? ..."
Something like falling off a mountain is okay because eventually you'll fall into the sea and after that eventually come back up to the surface, so in effect they cancel each other out so you should be fine, no worries, "in the long run." Of course you and most of your generation may as a result have been killed two or three times over in the process but that's okay because time heals all wounds... or wounds all heels.
They kept excusing themselves by saying devastation may apply in the short run, but eventually will balance out "in the long run..." Thus his retort: "In the long run we're all dead."
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