| I MYSELF HAVE BEEN DRUMMING SINCE THE AGE OF EIGHT, AND BACK IN THE 70s I WAS THE DRUMMER WITH BUDGIE, WELL HAVING SURVIVED ALL THAT AT THE AGE OF 47 I WAS DIAGNOSED PARKINSON'S. AND I AM NOW THE BEST TAMBOURINE PLAYER IN THE BUSINESS, NOW ANYONE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ROCK WORLD WILL TELL YOU IF YOU CANNOT STAND A LIFE OF KNOCKS IT’S NOT THE LIFE FOR YOU , OVER THE YEARS YOU DEVELOP THE SKIN OF A RHINO AND THE DETERMINATION OF AN ANT, YOU BELIEVE DESPITE THE MANY SET BACKS THAT YOU WILL MAKE IT! THEN ONE DAY YOU TAKE A CASUAL GLANCE INTO A MIRROR, AND THINK “ OH HELL I MAY OF MISSED THE TRAIN” THE REALIZATION THAT YES, THE TRAIN DOES STOP AT MIDNIGHT HITS HARD. BUT THINK POSITIVE YOU IN FACT DID NOT MISS YOUR STOP , YOU DID THE WHOLE JOURNEY AND WHAT A RIDE! FACING PARKINSON'S WAS A BIT LIKE BEING TOLD THE BANDS GOT A NEW DRUMMER, ON THE EVE OF A BIG TOUR. YOU EXCEPT IT FACE IT, BUT NEVER GIVE IN , I'M BLESSED I BELIEVE THAT I'M STILL ON THAT TRAIN. EVEN THE DRIVERS GONE BUT I'M NOT ALONE, FOR IT STILL STOPS AND PASSENGERS COME ON BOARD SHOUTING “ WE HAVE COME TO HELP YOU FIGHT” SO IF YOU WISH COME ABOARD YOUR ALL WELCOME , BUT REMEMBER WE ARE ALL CREMATED EQUAL. |
But it need not be rock. Any type of music is good. We all have a
favourite tune which we sing to ourselves when feeling low. I know that
I put my heart and soul into music and now in some strange way it
seems to be putting the life and soul back into me. It has helped me
face my illness when I recall in my old days of rock. I never thought I
would see the age of 53 anyway, As the song says, "Speed child, don't
wanna be alive when I'm 25." Now I want to be alive when I'm 95. Life
really is what you make it. At times the hill I climb each day becomes a
mountain, but I'm never alone on that mountain.
"You have PARKINSONS!" Those were the worst three words ever
said to me, I replied "Why me?" Well why not me, who can say it won't
happen to me, Who can say they are going to finish this senta..............
No one knows, life is a chance, the fact is that thanks to Parkinsons I
have witnessed great acts of kindness and compassion. You see with
illness you slow down. Allowing yourself time to think, accepting your
illness is most important, for in acceptance, you will find both inner
strength and peace. Why lock yourself away? In doing so, the illness is
locked away with you. Being alive with an illness is better than being
dead without one! I consider that life is a big jam session, you're doing
well , then some one changes the key.
I have been in music since 1958, my parents gave me a drum kit. The
tutor book's last page was missing so I took this as a sign and never
stopped, the life time of fun that was given to me with that first kit was
fantastic. I have made many friends, my oldest being Bruno Stapenhill,
founder member of JUDAS PRIEST.
| BEING ALIVE WITH AN ILLNESS , IS BETTER THAN BEING DEAD WITHOUT ONE! |