The Funny Side of MS
The funny side of MS
Paul Bull is a former university geography lecturer and is now known for his humorous talks to MS groups. He lives in Colchester.
"Lighten up, be happy, and live life to the full now!" says Paul Bull, who always sees the funny side of MS.
Everyone with MS has their own way of coping with the disease. For me, it's finding the funny side of things. Making merry about my disablement probably helps me to cope! I hope it will help others too.
I like to bring a bit of mirth and happiness into the disabled world that is too often portrayed as full of doom, groom and dependency. The world of the disabled is, of course, a serious one, and I do not mean to trivialise it in any way. For some people, being disabled is an almost unbearably frustrating and painful existence. But I want to try and lighten that load by bringing a little fun into this world.
Start living now!!!
My other reason for lightening things up is to convince people with MS to make the most of life now!
I am concerned that many people with MS have written themselves off; assumed their lives have come to an end. They wait at their homes for those clever doctors and scientists to come up with a cure. Then, once administered, they can come back into the light of the living. My point is you must start living now!
I believe a cure for MS is not just around the corner. It is many years away. People simply cannot afford to wait. Some may wish to hide themselves away from society. Others may be happy to watch the world go by around them. But if they are not, I want to inspire them to go out and change things. You can if you try.
MS and Humour
You may not all share my sense of humour, which can be a bit of the dark side. None of this is meant to offend, I apologise if it does. But I honestly believe there can be a lot of fun and humour in MS.
Continence problems for example, are always a good sense of fun. Disabled people rarely get 'the runs' simply because they can't run.
Then one only has to think of slapstick humour - of falling about and banging into objects and people to realise the opportunity for fun. The human race genuinely finds it funny when people trip and fall over, especially unexpectedly.
I have fallen over many times. As a result, I've been on the floor with my wife on numerous occasions. That can be a lot of fun! I've been on the floor with my GP and wife together- I'm not that liberal minded!
I've belly flopped in front of my neurologist's office door but didn't think to shout "the things you've got to do to get an appointment round here." I've tripped getting into a tube train and been bacon sliced by the doors. I've fallen up an escalator, and thankfully not down one.
A young woman with legs up to her armpits once accidentally tripped me up in Liverpool Street station. She ended on her bottom staring at me and I ended up staring at her gusset. I never thought such a creature would try to pick me up in such a public place!
Through the bruises and muscle strains, I am just about realising that such incidents can raise a smile.
© 2002 - 2009 MSRC
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