My Roommate

Life with Parkie

I will try to share with you my own experiences in a different way. I will tell you a true story that happened a few years ago.

One morning  I had an unwelcome visitor. You know, the kind of person who quickly changes mood and begins to complain and then loads her problems on you and although you are trying to find a solution for her, she herself does not try at all and continue to whine. I thought she would leave soon but she had different plans. She never meant to leave and hospitality pretty soon turned into cohabitation. Fortunately, the house is spacious and has room for us all.

Of course, as with any roommate, your life changes drastically. To survive you must adapt to the whims of your roommate. In my case, I had to make major adjustments. My family, frankly, do not understand how I tolerate her. They admire my patience. I will explain why.

Sometimes, she does not let me sleep at night. She likes to stay up late with no reason whatsoever and wanders around the house dragging her slippers, so in the morning I can’t help but feel tired and sleepy and can not take a single step.

And as if this is not enough, she is also terribly lazy. Moving slowly, so slowly that sometimes she reminds me of an astronaut living in space. She is a couch potato who wanders from one couch to another watching TV or surfing the Internet. Another friend has nicknamed her "the corpse" and asks me whether or not she has stunk yet.

Ahh! Now I said "stunk" I remembered about another one of her defects. One day she almost set fire to the house. I had put dinner in the oven  and had just started to tidy up the clutter that she always leaves behind her when I realized that the house was filled with smoke. Weird thing ... This girl has no sense of smell at all.

Her quirks are endless. Such a slender young girl and I've never seen her in high heels. She is always wearing flats or trainers. And although I beg her to wear some feminine blouses or cute shirts, she claims that she is too clumsy to do the buttons and opts for t-shirts and tights instead.

The worst is that she is moody and unsociable. She does not want to hang out with friends. She often gets irritated or complains that they do not understand her.  She sulks and remains silent and when she speaks her hoarse voice is barely heard. If you let her do her own thing and keep you in the house, you are in trouble. You will feel blue and depressed in no time.

Her favorite game is ‘hide and seek’ and does not care about anything else. But ‘hide and seek’ is not my favorite game. In fact, I think that it is boring. I like other things. I enjoy going to work every day, travelling to unknown places, and meeting people. I love the sun, the sea, the little fish tavern on the beach. Paintbrushes and tube paints keep me company for hours. Pen and paper are my best friends. My artistic and literary explorations never stop. The family moments and meetings with friends are precious for me.

So, I do not let her do what she wishes. I have other plans. Whether she likes it or not, she has to wake up early, exercise and come with me to work. In the afternoon she will help with other obligations. We may be a little slow, but so we can enjoy a few more things that go unnoticed for those who are in a rush. I have discovered corners in our town which I had no idea existed. The food, now, is a pleasure that lasts far longer and getting dressed is now a whole ritual. I never wear whatever I find in the closet as I used to. And when I sleep, she falls asleep as well and we see the same dreams and the same nightmares.

When we go shopping we are both extremely happy. We usually pay using a credit card. You see, she gets upset handling coins. Sometimes they fall off her hand, sometimes she does not have enough or cannot reach them down in the bottom of the bag.

The truth is that I sometimes neglect her. When I start to paint or write I forget about her completely. Then, I do not know where she  disappears, where she hides herself... She must be feeling terribly lonely.

I think it's time to reveal her name if by now you haven’t guessed it. Parkinson's disease (affectionately called Parkie) came into my life to stay, like an unwanted friend who appears without notice, suddenly not for a visit but for permanent cohabitation. Four years ago, I discovered that I suffer from this unique and simultaneously increasingly common condition with multiple and different symptoms and unknown cause, an unpredictable, progressive disease without effective treatment. I hope everything and fear nothing. There are always ways to facilitate our lives. From the special glass or cup that is designed not to pour the drink to the wheelchair, everything is designed to restore our freedom and movement and not to cripple us as many mistakenly believe.

Living with Parkie is always a great challenge. Mainly, because things that are simple and obvious now become a time consuming process. If you have such a roommate in your life I understand perfectly.

Do not let them, however, impose their own way of life and thinking. Above all do not play hide and seek. Do not hide in the house, snuggled in a couch, in front of a screen. Set goals and sail to new destinations and explorations. Develop new interests and hobbies. Try things, meet people and make new friends. Love, laugh, travel and enjoy life like never before.

And if you notice that people stare at you, do not think that they do so out of curiosity or pity. Chances are that they look at you with admiration.