“Lonely, I’m Mr. Lonely, I have nobody for my own.” Aaaah, young Mr. Bobby Vinton, chronicler of teen yearning, heartbreak and occasionally, actual romance. The very first record I ever bought, in 1964, was a ’45 of Bobby singing “There I’ve Said It Again.” I couldn’t wait till the next Saturday night, and the Saturday after that, and the one after that, when I would dance with actual boys to mushy romantic tunes (still a favorite genre) at one of the numerous Bar Mitzvah parties that filled my social calendar that seventh grade year of my best social life ever.

What does a seventh-grader’s love life have to do with Parkinson’s, you inquire. Not much, actually, though I’ve been thinking about renewing my efforts towards becoming unsingle, those Bobby Vinton tunes invading my head and my heart. Not so easy at my age, harboring a chronic and at this stage fortunately mostly invisible illness.

I’ve been pretty contentedly single for quite some time. One of the gifts of solitude is that I’ve learned, by default, to take care of myself. There’s no partner to fix the toilet, put up the screens when the seasons change, make the plane reservations.

What a cool, independent woman, my friends tell me, doing it all yourself. Actually, I’m more a throw-money-at-the-problem sort, but I sometimes wish I had a partner to help me with, well, lots of stuff. I’m occasionally jealous of my friends who have a live-in plumber, handy-man, financial planner who shares their bed.

And yeah, the single life, however enterprising one may be, can be lonely sometimes. Why don’t I have someone sitting beside me on the couch yelling at the screen when certain politicians make an appearance? Nope, it’s all on me, cooking the dinner and plunging the toilet,

And because I like symmetry – and because there’s nobody here to tell me what I can and can’t do – I think I’ll end with a bit more Bobby Vinton, singing Blue Velvet.

********

Please don’t forget to check out all four of my currently posted episodes of my podcast, Parky Conversations. The overall theme: the very weirdness of Parkinson’s. They’re Interesting even if you have no Parkinson’s connection, like the episode about the woman who can determine from your scent if you have Parkinson’s.

Last thing, I promise. On Sunday, October 27th, I’ll be participating in the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Boston Run/Walk, in Swampscott, MA

Please consider supporting my efforts by donating through my fundraising page. Your support helps speed new Parkinson’s treatments and moves us closer to a world without the disease.  Gifts in any amount are so appreciated.

\