What are most people afraid of? Death? Yes, but number one according to surveys is public speaking. I have more than mastered that fear. I have given speeches to over 5000 at an advertising convention. I knew my subject and did the whole speech based on a 3x5 card.
Nice for me.
Why do I mention this ability? Because Multiple Sclerosis threatened this skill. Giving a speech, I need a quick mind, agile mouth and ability to read reactions from an audience. During my presentations, I often discovered new thoughts as ideas moved in my brain. For instance, I opened up a meeting of dealers to questions. One person asked if our company did Yellow Pages advertisements? I said that we did offer that service, but our goal was to have “your clients look you up in the White Pages. Hence, we eliminate any questions of who the customer will call.” I had the entire room nodding in agreements. (Yes, this was said in the early days of computers)
Now I blog. I feel confident that I can make any speech at any time on any subject. What subject I may not know, I could either learn it or fake knowledge. Making it up is bad, but can lead to fun. Everything I write is from either personal experience or questions generated by life conditions.
Blogging is a written form of how I made a speech. I have an idea, think about it, and just write.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a wonderful President of the United States. His “Fireside Chats” used radio to detail his plans to the country. I mention FDR because he moved people while not being seen during these “Chats”, just his voice. President Roosevelt was closer to our condition that we might recall. FDR was wheelchair bound because of polio. He used his agile mind to reach people from his chair.
Multiple Sclerosis is an individual condition. One of my biggest recommendations is to keep the mind agile. Physical therapy is important, but if the mind withers much of life’s value may disappear.
Active is the watchword for MS. We need to stay active in everyway possible. Read, listen, debate and have feelings.
“Everyday you should think, everyday you should laugh, everyday you should cry. Any day you think, laugh and cry, that’s a helluva day.” Jim Valvano said this as he was dying of cancer.