Twenty Scratchy Signatures

Twenty Scratchy Signatures

 

One look at the writing on the sign-in sheet tells the story.

Sign in please.
Sign in please.

 

Either there is something physically wrong with these folks—or they are undergoing the world’s most violent earthquake!

Very simply, not one of these people will win the Emily Post Award for penmanship!

 

 

What am I talking about?  It’s the sign-in sheet for my MS support group, the “MS Musketeers.”

 

Twice a month, this group of hobbling MSer’s meets to discuss everything and anything, MS related or not!

 

 

Many years ago, my doctor suggested I attend a support group meeting to help deal with my obvious denial.

“Forget that crap” I would say “I don’t need to hear a bunch of whiners belly ache about having MS!”

(Was I an idiot or what?  I still am in a way!)

 

 

Fast forward to the fall of 2009.  This website was in its infancy when I was asked to speak to the MS group about “humor.”

Honestly, how could I speak to others about finding humor in their MS when I still hadn’t accepted my own diagnosis?

I did the gig anyway, reading several of my lame “Odd Sock” posts, and put everyone but two people to sleep.  (Either I was unfunny–or the drowsy spasticity meds were kicking in!)

 

 

But what I learned that day was this group of folks still laughed, cared, loved and lived.  I learned we shared much more than a DX.

We were husbands & wives, moms & dads, sons & daughters, partners, caregivers, coworkers, you name it.

We were a pot-luck collection of ages, races, personalities and backgrounds—each taking one shuffling step after another…eager to sign-in with a scratchy signature that says…”Together we can fight the fight!”

 

                                 *          *          *          *          *          *

 

As we sigh a collective “Aww, that’s so cute!”  Enough with the touchy junk!

Seriously, if you have never attended an MS Support Group meeting, I encourage you to give it a try.  You’ll come away with a new perspective of your disease—and maybe one for yourself!

sock 

4 Replies to “Twenty Scratchy Signatures”

  1. ..and don’t forget the online MS support forums. I’ve been a member of the WebMD forum for a year or two and met a wonderful bunch of people. Following a failed mutiny when the WebMD site changed its format, a splinter group of ex-pats formed a private MS group on facebook. We are a strident bunch, aren’t we? Viva Zapata!

  2. I’ll never forget your decision to attend finally…and to see your own picture on the DX and that many others do in fact care. And, I’ll always be happy to see you staying with this blog to keep your thoughts open…not only for yourself, but for the rest of us in the same boat.

    Oh, and if you happen to hit the down & sorrow again, don’t worry about the blog, I’m still saving the posts since the last site shutdown and will always be willing to help you keep this special vent wide open to keep your thoughts clear. Thanks for keeping it going.

  3. Speaking of Forums, a very large one is available that has been around for years. It has many sub-groups that each discuss different aspects of our disease. I’ve learned a lot over the years from the Forums before ever attending an actual in person meeting. They’re all very viable options to think about.