I suspect you’re thinking that the title of this post is a trap. I’ve sucked you in and now I’m about to pull the old bait and switcheroo. Well… nope. I honestly have found a number of positive developments attributable to my disease. Who’d a thunk it?

Old friends. One of my favorite quotations ever comes from Thomas Hardy, a treasured author: New love is brightest, long love is greatest, but revived love is the tenderest thing known upon earth.

Hardy was discussing romantic love but you know what? There’s no reason his wise words can’t recognize platonic relationships as well.

I’m now, post diagnosis, in contact with a bunch of folks from way back when, from elementary school, camp, on through high school and beyond. There’s even half a handful of what I’ll call “new old friends,” delightful people I barely knew in high school (see you in June at our 55th reunion) but whom I’ve come to know because they’re blog fans.

And how did I manage to cook up these guys? The main course is the blog, with a side of Facebook, though often both are blended in a kind of connections stew.

The blog has also brought new dimensions to my relationships with old friends, A few serve as editors, previewing and offering suggestions on my posts, helping me feel confident that they’re the best they can be before I send them out into the world.

Old friends have been terrific at helping spread the word about the blog: They tell me things like: My friend’s sister-in-law was just diagnosed and I sent her your blog. Besides creating a new connection (the sister-in-law) for me, what a nice way for me to connect with an old pal! Then there are the cheerleaders, providing support and encouragement. Yay back at you!

New friends. They’re not quite the same as those of longer duration like my elementary school buddies, some of whom I’ve known since we were three and who I see every couple of months. ( shoutout to my John Howland Girls).

My alma mater, John Howland School in Providence, RI There are now condos there.

I don’t even know some of these “friends” very well, but we do share an unspoken bond: Parkinson’s. I’m unaware of the details of their symptoms, but they are lovely people who manage to get themselves to boxing, dancing, chorus ( the cleverly named Tremble Clefs) and yoga despite – or maybe sometimes because of- their pain. I always look forward to seeing these very interesting individuals I’d never have met if it weren’t for our mutual diagnoses.

I include in that group the administrators who so efficiently and compassionately run the aforementioned programs and of course our teachers who help us dance, stretch, sing and box away our symptoms, or at least mitigate them a bit.

There are also people I’ve connected with via Parkinson’s -the blog followers, the friends of friends, my fellow bloggers, my podcast participants and even people I’ve interacted with on social media.

And I’m so grateful for those who have played some role in my forthcoming podcast. I know, I’ve been promising to launch for a while but I assure you, the podcast is real. I’m operating on what I’m calling PT – you guessed it- Parkinson’s Time. In the before times, the podcast would have been up and running for months by now but alas, the PB (Parkinson’s Bod) operates at a slower speed. We”re LP’s, not 45’s.

Every single “friend” I’ve made due to Parkinson’s has enriched my life.

Teaching at Harvard Medical School, Almost Stardom, et. al I imagine this one’s a headscratcher, so I’ll spell it out for you. During my search for scientists, physicians and other experts for the podcast, I interviewed a couple of neurologists at Mass. General Hospital. A few weeks later, one of them asked me to appear before a class at Harvard Medical School, helping to “teach” students who were studying Parkinson’s. I was introduced as if I were a visiting dignitary. My instruction consisted of my walking back and forth a few times – this was the teaching part – after having viewed a student demonstrating a “normal” walk. Yes, it was Parky on Parade. Apparently, my Parkinsonian gait, which I had believed to be pretty much medically remediated, was still “off.” Still, no one gasped or fainted so I guess I didn’t frighten anyone. They asked a few questions, none of which I remember. All in all, it was a fun afternoon, and nothing in my pre-Parkinsonian life would have presented an opportunity remotely like this.

And now, the big reveal about the “stardom” part.

I recently received an email from a Hollywood casting agent (really!) who, having read my blog, invited me to send in an audition reel for a public service announcement for Parkinson’s, to be shot in Toronto. I’ll cut to the chase; I didn’t get the part, which went to a Canadian ( for the full scoop, see these blog posts: The Blog Goes Hollywood, and The Winner Is.. But boy, it sure was fun to daydream about during the 48 hours between the time I learned of the opportunity until I was rejected. And you know what?

1. It was an honor to be nominated.

2. You never know what life- changing chance awaits you. Not just the big ones (see above) but also little things like …who the hell knows? I suspect there may be additional pleasant surprises in my future.

New skills. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? This schnauzer has learned how to create what is hoped to be a compelling, informative and entertaining 40-minute program – my Parky Conversations podcast. Skill and knowledge acquisition have been sometimes frustrating and occasionally taxing but really, very rewarding

Fit as a fiddle. I just may be in the best shape of my life and I owe it all to Parkinson’s. Seriously, when your neurologist, a PD specialist, tells you, in almost the same sentence as your diagnosis, that you must must must exercise, a lot, you pay attention. True, my legs feel tired after boxing class or a walk around the reservoir in a way they never used to, But I’m exercising more than ever, and I feel strong and healthy most of the time.

(So….I just reread the above paragraph, which may be just the teensiest bit overstated. But hey, wherever lies the truth, I’m pretty fit, all things considered.)

Feelin’ groovy. A couple of times a week, usually midday, I feel as if I’d eaten a marijuana gummy or smoked a joint. And I HADN’T. (At least not then). It must have something to do with drug interaction. My doctor wasn’t worried which is good because I get a mild high, usually lasting an hour or two. The downside is that I don’t get things done, but overall it’s quite pleasant, albeit very strange, like everything having to do with this crazy illness.

I box.

Go figure.