December 1, 2010. There's Something Bigger Than Phil!

Let me take you back to 1973. Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks release "The 2013 Year-Old Man" Reiner interviews Brooks, who is the old gentleman. At one point, Reiner asks the oldman,
“Did you always believe in the Lord?”
“No. We had a guy in our village named Phil, and for a time we worshipped him.”
You worshipped a guy named Phil? Why?”
“Because he was big, and mean, and he could break you in two with his bare hands.”
“Did you have prayers?”
“Yes, would you like to hear one? O Phil, please don’t be mean and hurt us, or break us in two with your bare hands.
”“So when did you start worshipping the Lord?”
“Well, one day a big thunderstorm came up and alightning bolt hit Phil. We gathered around and saw that he was dead. Then we said to one another,‘There’s somethin’ bigger than Phil!’

”I'm a big guy. I'm slightly over 6'2", and weigh about 240 lbs. Which is why I find it so difficult to accept the fact that wind could be disastrous.

Nothing ever knocked me over. When I played Hockey, if you tried to check me, you were going down. When I played Basketball, I couldn't dribble or jump, but if I planted my feet in the paint, I was getting that rebound. Now I've met my match. And the son of a bitch is invisible.

The coldest places in the Metropolitan area may well be, 1) The southern tip of Manhattan; 2) The Nassau Coliseum Parking Lot; 3) Queens Boulevard. What do these places have in common? They all have tremendous wind gusts.

Today was rainy and windy. As I entered the stairway going down to the subway on Continental Avenue at Queens Boulevard, I felt a gust of wind move me. Move me! Let me at that guy! My opponent is crafty. He may force me to avoid him in the future.

Have I met my match? Not really, but I must learn to be more careful. with PD comes clumsiness. I didn't go down this time, but it opened my eyes to the possibility that it may happen.

November 23, 2010

For those of you younger than 45, I think that I should explain the title to the blog, "But This is the Hand that I shoot with." It's me remembering a line wrong from "Blazing Saddles." "Blazing Saddles" is widely considered one of the funniest movies ever made. Clevon Little plays Bart, Gene Wildler is The Waco Kid.


Bart: (disbelieving) The Waco Kid. He had the fastest hand in the West.
The Waco Kid: In the world.
Bart: Well, if you're the Kid, then show me something.
The Waco Kid: Well, maybe a couple of years ago, I could have shown you something, but today, look at that. (He holds up his right hand - and it is steady without shaking)
Bart: Steady as a rock.
The Waco Kid: Yeah, but I shoot with this hand. (His left hand shakes wildly)

I've often used this gag when I discuss my Parkinsons.

It makes me laugh. My choice is either be depressed or make jokes. I choose to make jokes.

It may be a defense mechanism, but it keeps me from being morose and in turn making others morose.

Everybody has difficulties that they deal with. Some deal with them better than others. I see no problem talking about your problems, if that is what you choose to do, without complaining about them.

I love humor. I can watch The Marx Brothers, Sid Caesar, Chaplin over and over again. At my lowest moments they can snap me out of it. Laughter is a great cure.