I had my story all done on Sunday night. I had decided to talk about the concept of being infallible and the other side to that which is being fallible. From there I was going to look at the notion of changing being fallible to being FallAble..as in Able to Fall. Able to Fall, for me, means having the ability to try, to work at something hoping for success and accepting that there may be some failure, some fallout, and doing it anyway...
And then I heard the interview by Rush Limbaugh and Michael J. Fox... "The best laid plans of mice and men."
I don't know if you have heard the interview or heard, around the water cooler, snippets of the interview: allow me....Michael J Fox, as many of you know, has been afflicted with Parkinson's Disease in excess of 15 years. Rush Limbaugh has never had it. Michael J Fox is a strong proponent of stem cell research, a controversial medical procedure given the religious implications involved. I am not jumping into the fray on that issue. I am jumping into the fray on the issue of Mr. Limbaugh's decision to mock Michael J Fox after the interview indicating that Michael chose not to take his medications for the interview to make himself look more vulnerable....Mr. Limbaugh sat in his chair and wiggled around like a fish in the desert apparently imitating Michael's "acting."
I'm guessing you're seeing where I'm going with this. Having been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease myself at the young age of 40 I know full well the choice of taking, and not taking, medications. Take them and feel better for a while: don't take them and you either freeze up like a popsicle in winter in the Yukon or you shake around like a mariachi band in a salsa show. It's called dyskensia: you don't get to pick which reaction you will experience: depends on the time of day, the way you are feeling: the stresses you are under and a myriad of other issues....To insinuate that this is a choice one has comes from a place of complete incompetence of journalistic research. Give me a break!
I personally know many of the people that are part of the Michael J Fox Parkinson community. I was involved with the community on an activist and advocacy level for many years. The aim of all of the groups was to create awareness about Parkinsons disease. One of my friends worked tirelessly to educate police officers around North America on how to recognize a person with Parkinson's disease. This was after she had been picked up for drunken behaviour while walking in her local mall. She was not drunk but she could not convince the officers. It was after that humiliating experience that she took it upon herself to ensure others would not suffer her disgrace.
I worked with medical practitioners, educators, the media and business people in conjunction with other Parkinsonians to educate them of what Parkinson's is like and that, yes, young people do get it....It was through this work that I was able to get a second opinion from a different neurologist. It was through this work that I was told that I had never had Parkinson's disease. You can read more about that at www.tobeyourbest.net or in the archives of Worthwhile magazine. The point was to inform and to educate and to ensure that people with Parkinson's, and other medical issues, were treated with dignity and respect.
And then there was the interview. Here's the link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXs6xyHMOg) to the response by Mr. Limbaugh. You can read more about the entire story at this youtube link: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14pGY1P97L8).
So, today I'm ranting and raving quite frankly. I got the "get out of jail free" card. I am grateful, eternally, for this opportunity. It was because of this mis-diagnosis that I finally discovered my true passion of coaching people who want to live fearlessly. Had I not had this experience I would not have the drive, the passion and the juicy conversations I have to do this work...So, I am grateful BUT I'm still an advocate for PD patients. I still have many friends who were not so lucky. I choose to speak up when it is time and this is the time.
Rush Limbaugh was wrong to imitate Michael J Fox in that way. He had a point to make and that's fine. Did he have to be so theatrical about it? I say no. His "apology" states that he thought Michael was off his meds to prove a point, "after all he is an actor. He could have been acting." Well wasn't Limbaugh doing exactly the same thing to prove his point?
Which makes me think: perhaps this story was about being FallAble after all. Rush Limbaugh made a mistake he says, sort of. Michael J Fox has admitted in the past to going off his meds to show Congress what it's like to suffer the inequities of Parkinson's Disease. Are either of them infallible? Apparently not. Are either of them FallAble? Let's reserve judgement on that one shall we?
What are your thoughts on this? Was anybody right? Was anybody wrong? Was Limbaugh right in bringing up this issue of going off meds to prove a point? Anybody fearless in all of this? I'd love to hear your comments...Send them to me at fearlessliving@rogers.com
As always, just for fun...follow this link for some giggles and wiggles....http://www.thewiggles.com.au/au/about/. Perhaps Mr. Limbaugh could take lessons on how to really wiggle from this group! Thanks for listening. Living la vida fearless, Jan

Wow, I didn't realize how long it had been since last I wrote. And, apparently, by the number of people who have noticed..that's not a big problem. So, update, I did finish the walk. It was amazing and I am already signing up to do it again next year. Life changing was what people told me. I couldn't figure out what they meant:now I tell other people the same thing. The moments that struck me most were the people coming out to support us. They were lined up along many streets throught out the city. They had signs and posters and t-shirts. Pictures of moms, sisters, daughters, aunts, cousins, friends...they had passed or were suffering while we walked. I cried so many times that weekend.....I also fell once. Thirty kilometres into the walk, three more to go on the first day. I hit a hole that had been cut out of the pavement. Down I went. I hurt my ankle and my knee but there was no way that was going to stop me. I have done this before so I knew what had to be done, and, when I went to sleep that first night I cozied up with a bag of ice on my ankle. Another girl hit the same spot and broke her ankle and had to stop. I sure hope they fixed that before more people hit it. My friends, upon reflection, offered me the "best bouncing back" prize. They were astounded at how quickly I went down and how quickly I bounced back up. That got me thinking afterward. That's kinda my life. I, like so many, get presented with opportunities...some good some not so good..and all necessary for forward growth. They may set me back, they may knock me down but they don't knock me out.
So, I'm already in training for the next walk, next September, and getting all set to walk with the most remarkable team I have ever had the good fortune to be a part of. Ladies, from my heart, to all you Chix out walking...I am blessed and grateful. Stay tuned. Living la vida fearless, Jan