Have you ever thought of writing?

 

Alarmingly, I have been asked this before.

To write about my life as a person who lives with the debilitating consequences of Multiple Sclerosis.

I have to confess I find the whole idea a bit ‘discombobulating’ for a number of reasons (is that even a word?).

Firstly, unlike the people who have suggested this to me, I have real trouble seeing what, of real positive value, my life story would add to the corpus of humanity? I’m just a burnt out old fireman with MS, who repeated first-class and thereafter journeyed through the rest of my educational life under the spurious illusion that things like homework, assignments and even studying were for the poor unfortunates who had not benefited from such an extended exposure to primum genus instruction. 

Second, where would I start, how would I construct a cogent narrative – a sequential story of my life that is of value? I fear it would be a catalogue of wince memories punctuated by encounters with truly significant people. In the end, the benefits of such a Newtonian (John not Isaac) discourse would be of little benefit to the reader.

When I started this numbering, I believe I had a point 3 and a point 4. But they have now departed from my cognition – there you go, that’s another reason not to write – I can't retain memories, even during a conversation. Ha, I can’t even pray for more than 15 seconds!

MS is starting to affect my cognition to such an extent that it negatively affects my short-term memory. If I am addressing an issue and I identify three points that I want to communicate, the first point will generally be recalled successfully while the second point can only be recalled marginally at best, while the third point has blissfully sailed away into the sunset – never to return… I find this frustrating.

So in summary (I explain to my friend), although I do appreciate your generosity in offering to guide and work with me at my own pace, I feel your prodigious talents would be better spent on a different project.

But my friend pushes back, “You have quite the story Garry,” he says. “Capturing it in some way (big or small) would be so valuable to so many people.”

Really?!

"Yes, Garry, really. Trust me on this one – it will be good!”