Thanks and Dedication

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAz7AZan-eg

Thanks and dedication 

Here is a link to the audio  version of this blog, if you would prefer to listen

    A massive thank-you to you my readers for all the positive feedback, comments, and kind words. I started this blog as an experiment and as an outlet and therapy for myself. The response has been nothing short of heartwarming for me. I have heard stories of inspiration and testimonies of raising Ataxia awareness among friends, family, and loved ones. Let me assure you that this has become an enormous motivation for me to continue and I plan to. However, there is another source of encouragement for me, and truly my driving force. Her name is Melissa, and I have been blessed to have her by my side for 24+ years now. We have had some rough times, but they were always my fault,( Honey, if you’re reading this, that was for you). Without her, my condition would be a whole lot closer to being unbearable. From the moment I received the diagnosis to the present, she has been the source of my help and strength. Saying thank-you does not even begin to convey how I feel and I want to dedicate my writings to her. I love her, and I love you all and again say thank-you.

So, with that being said, I would now like to present to you the next article in this blog that I call  My Life……hope you enjoy….

Reflections On Reflexes

When I was younger, the one thing I could always count on was my cat-like reflexes (lately it would seem that the inner cat has gotten a little drunk). Okay, so they weren’t what some would call….okay, anybody would call "cat-like," but they were pretty good. I used to watch Gunslinger movies as a kid and think, "If I were a cowboy, I would’ve shown that so-called fastest gun a thing or two." I probably would have shown them and gotten a reputation and a cool name that everyone would know like, “the grease-co-kid, man-o-lighten, or……Jimmy the Weasel." But, let’s be honest, I probably couldn’t have stayed on a horse, much less ridden one, and walking from town-to-town would have been embarrassing.  So, I guess it was all for the best anyway. But back to those reflexes. During the pre-ataxia days, I could catch falling objects without punching myself in the crotch, nose, or feet. I could be scared by a well-intentioned friend and jump without causing serious injury to myself or others. But alas, what used to be called “swift” and “sure” is now referred to as “jerks” and “spasms,” thanks to the magic of Ataxia. Sure, my inner cat has become unstable, and I jump, lurch, and dance at every sound above a normal talking voice. Even a little love pat from my wife causes me to hug the nearest wall like I’m on the filming set and trying out for a new Spiderman movie. Or there are the times I have been honked at by friends as I’m walking and they are driving past. I might have invented some new dance steps during those times. But, like everything else that most people take for granted, my lack of any form of coordinated reflexes is just another thing to which I am learning to adjust.
This is a link to the audio version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAz7AZan-eg