Forever Young
This week, I had the wonderful experience of presenting a workshop entitled: Parkinson’s Disease with Attitude. The session was geared to a youth group (7th to 12th grader). At first, I wondered what would a group of teenagers really want to know about a condition they probably never heard of prior to the workshop. But having been a college professor for thirty years, I have developed the skills and experience to teach most things to all different age groups. The key is to know your audience and taylor the teaching specifically to them. So I jumped at the chance.
What do you teach young adults about a disease that they really do not know much about and pray to God they never get? Well, I start with asking them to look at me and tell me how I appear differently than they do. They are sweetly cautious because they clearly do not want to say something that may offend me. How mature and respectful these teenagers are to me and to each other. I am impressed.Eventually, we acknowledge the very obvious, I shake, a lot.
Given their good nature, I ask for some volunteers to participate in some role playing and other group activities which focus on building awareness for people with disabilities, or what I refer to as ability challenged. We blindfold a couple of the participants and have a fellow student “see” them through a room of obstacles. Then we reflect on what it feels like to lose control of one of your senses, such aa sight, or hearing or mobility. We all agree the lost of control frightens us and brings out trust issues for those around us, especially when we depend on others.
We continue on with some clinical simulation exercises where I ask each of them to shake their hands repeatedly as if they have tremors. I have them continue shaking them for several minutes so they understand the feeling of fatigue a patient with PD experiences all day, every day. I then have them write their names while tremoring and button and unbutton a shirt with those shakey hands. And then we sit back, relax (their hands are tied) and we chat.
The workshop closes with some eye-opeining truths verses myths about PD and other disabilities, We have a generous discussion of the power of positivity over negativity. This is especially important when you have a chronic, degenerative disease where there is no cure. At some point, you stop allowing the medical condition define you and reshape your life to adapt to the new challenges which it presents. You remain the same Nanci with some tweaking to get you through the day.
Young people get this. They have a wonderful sense of hope and optimism which needs to be nutured by their community and their society. I am glad that my future will some day be in the hands of these millennials. I have found them to be bright, articulate, empathetic and open to new ideas. Bravo to them!
“May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young.”
Song: Forever Young ,Bob Dylan
Photos: Pinterest
