Today marks the tenth anniversary of being released from the Neuro ICU after my life-altering Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery the day before. The four-hour procedure, during which the patient must stay awake, was conducted on November 5th, 2014. Although…
Watching the sunset
The decision to watch the sunset was made at home, thirty-five minutes before the sun officially dipped below the horizon. Such is the advantage – even with mini adventures – of keeping the broad strokes familiar. The ocean offers sufficient…
Figuring it out
A Parkinson’s disease (PD) diagnosis is life-changing, and feeling sorry for yourself is natural. However, playing the victim is not a good place to linger if you want to be around for the long run. It took me eight years…
Doubling down on kindnesss
While waiting in line at the post office yesterday, the distinctive banter of relaxation beyond boredom danced in my ears. “Hey Bernie,” a young woman, the only person working the front counter, called to her coworker in the back sorting…
View from the shadows.
The heat of the June sun is in perfect harmony with the gusty wind, forming the perfect bond between two of nature’s most primal forces. This enhances the illusion of greater meaning in man’s imagined machinations. Days like this usually…
Life’s eternal bargain
My first indication of a visiting vessel was the coffee-grinder-like sound of a bow thruster. My passengers—a former Recon Marine father and his 37-year-old son—helped the newcomers tie up, and before long, the steady beat of conversation drifted through my boat’s…
A misplaced power
May 11, 2023 Leaving the grocery store today, I saw a homeless man standing on the corner, holding a cardboard sign stating he was a Vietnam veteran. Pulling up to the stop sign, several well-established narratives, conditioned in my mind…
Bluewater
April 27, 2023 The sea has been my life’s central line of consistency, a colorful ally in my stumble through day-to-day existence. From my lifelong hobby, scuba diving, to my first real job as a Navy A-6 Intruder aircraft carrier…
Yoga
Although not started until nearly a decade after Parkinson’s diagnosis, hot yoga has been a mainstay in my fight with the disease for control of mind, body, and soul. Last week saw the tenth anniversary of Chrysalis Hot Yoga, a…
The empowering choice
Recently, I flew to the East Coast to see my son, Jared. It was a great visit, with no pressure to do anything; simply being in the other’s presence was enough. Before I knew it, our time together was over,…