30 Days of PD: The Circus That Has Become My Life

Photo courtesy of Lori DePorter

Day 28 of 30

This is Lori DePorter’s story:

Do you remember the circus? Do they exist anymore?  If you can’t find one, come on over to DePorterville. When using the circus reference, my friend asked me if I was the ringmaster, the tightrope walker, the clown car, or the audience.

Honestly, my role changes, but I am rarely the ringmaster, except when I’m teaching a class and when I’m writing. I’m in charge of the beginning, the middle, and the end.

The tightrope walker sounds exciting. If I have a net, there’s no stopping me. Without a net, I am a “put a long rope on the floor and off I go” type of girl. But like the circus performer, everyone is anxiously watching and waiting to see if I will get to the other side.

I’m definitely not the audience. I’ll never sit and watch my life go by. I’ll be an active participant — just a little bit slower. But slower is OK; I’ve learned to appreciate the slow lane. You see more details of your life and count your blessings, big and small.

So I guess I am the clown car. I put on a happy face. I keep appearing over and over while doing my best to keep everyone entertained. Do I succeed? Yes and no. Life with Parkinson’s is ever-changing. It’s a three-ring circus — jump in and see where you land.

Teaching my online class today, I asked them to jump in and tell me where they would land. We had a full circus: one ringmaster, one tightrope walker with a parachute, three clowns in the car with me, and three in the audience. However, the best part of this circus was VK, who responded, “We are the nets. We catch each other.”

Lori DePorter writes the “Life, Lemons, and Lemonade” column for Parkinson’s News Today.

Parkinson’s News Today’s 30 Days of PD campaign will publish one story per day for Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month in April. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more stories like this, using the hashtag #30DaysofPD, or read the full series.