Freedom
Strolling on a path through rolling fields of grain
On a late summer afternoon with no need to rush
A warm and gentle breeze kindly touches the skin
Run, but don't move, let time stand still
I wish it would never end!
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Sunday, June 24, 2012
My Home Is Where My Adrenaline Is
Currently we are in the middle of the European Championship 2012
in Soccer. While I don’t want to talk about this sport in particular, and not
even about sports in general, I will use it as an example for attempting to identify
what place to call Home.
I don’t think that such a place can live in the heart; too many
emotions are associated with this organ. For example, my heart is always with
my family, and they are here with me in the US, yet this is not the place I
call home. Also, there are no fractions in “heart,” either you got it or you don’t,
you cannot have “… my half a heart goes out to you.” So, if heart is not good,
then how can I identify where HOME is?
And this brings me back to soccer, and the rush of adrenaline
(= epinephrine) I have during the Germany games! No other team could
invoke the same reactions, the restlessness, agony, joy, and all the other emotions
a rush of adrenaline produces. There are other nations in this tournament that
I root for as well (I am a sucker for underdogs - oh surprise), but just not as
strongly. And that got me thinking and wondering about this all and I came up
with the following definition:
The “Heart” is attached to many sentiments, and either you
have it or you don’t. On the other hand, the output of the adrenal glands can
be measured, and that allows for the creation of a scale on what can be
considered home. For example, while Germany
scores a 100% on my “Home Scale,” the US may score an 80%, some other
nation a 75%, and so forth.
To sum it up, there can now be many homes, and some are more
“homey” than others! Flawed? Maybe, but I like it!
Thanks for reading,
Ingo
Sunday, May 27, 2012
More to Celebrate
I don't know if you remember, but just a few weeks ago I mentioned my one year anniversary of finding out that I have Parkinson's Disease (see last blog entry). That was, of course, not a nice thing for me to celebrate.
Well, today, on a much happier note, I am sharing with you another anniversary. This week marks three years since I had my last cigarette, and I am very proud of that. And let me tell you, quitting smoking - after having smoked for over 20 years - was really hard. But let me tell you something else: supposedly there is a relationship between not getting Parkinson's Disease and being an active smoker. Isn't that ironic?
Ah, and before I forget it, the reason why it took up photography is because I quit smoking as I had to do something productive to not think about cigarettes. And that is definitely a major positive that came out of this.
Ingo
Well, today, on a much happier note, I am sharing with you another anniversary. This week marks three years since I had my last cigarette, and I am very proud of that. And let me tell you, quitting smoking - after having smoked for over 20 years - was really hard. But let me tell you something else: supposedly there is a relationship between not getting Parkinson's Disease and being an active smoker. Isn't that ironic?
Ah, and before I forget it, the reason why it took up photography is because I quit smoking as I had to do something productive to not think about cigarettes. And that is definitely a major positive that came out of this.
Ingo
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Living with Parkinson's Disease - Year 1
Today marks my one year anniversary of being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. You may not know what this really means, but you sure know people who have it, like Mohammed Ali, the best boxer of all times, or actor Michael J. Fox, best known from the "Back to the Future" movies.
The severity of my form of Parkinson's is rather mild and mostly affects my right hand (my writing hand). I am fortunately on excellent medication that allows me to function mostly normal, but I vividly remember the times when I was only on a very low dosage or not on meds yet at all. Every move was a strain and tiring, and some were outright impossible, for example when my right hand went numb and I couldn't even hold onto a pen.
The biggest change though was the revelation that I am vulnerable and mortal. Up to the day when I found out that I have Parkinson’s an illness was something to overcome. But now, well, “Mr. Parkinson’s” will always be with me, till the day I die. And although my wonderful Dr. assures me that I still have a long life to live, and that I will not die of this illness per se, I nevertheless will never feel being whole again!
And in case you wonder how I deal with it, let’s say that for the most part a song title from one of my favorite bands describes it very appropriately; it is called “Suffer Well.”
But fortunately there is my wife and my children, my family at large, friends, coworkers, and doctors, all of them in one way or another are helping me with reducing that suffering.
Ingo
The severity of my form of Parkinson's is rather mild and mostly affects my right hand (my writing hand). I am fortunately on excellent medication that allows me to function mostly normal, but I vividly remember the times when I was only on a very low dosage or not on meds yet at all. Every move was a strain and tiring, and some were outright impossible, for example when my right hand went numb and I couldn't even hold onto a pen.
The biggest change though was the revelation that I am vulnerable and mortal. Up to the day when I found out that I have Parkinson’s an illness was something to overcome. But now, well, “Mr. Parkinson’s” will always be with me, till the day I die. And although my wonderful Dr. assures me that I still have a long life to live, and that I will not die of this illness per se, I nevertheless will never feel being whole again!
And in case you wonder how I deal with it, let’s say that for the most part a song title from one of my favorite bands describes it very appropriately; it is called “Suffer Well.”
But fortunately there is my wife and my children, my family at large, friends, coworkers, and doctors, all of them in one way or another are helping me with reducing that suffering.
Ingo
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