Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Are you afraid of the dark?

August 15 2012

Yesterday we held a birthday party for my daughter who is turning the ripe old age of 9.  We pitched tents in my parents backyard (a home which they have owned for over 30 years!) and enjoyed the view of the lake, had some homemade pizza's and watched some movies.  The girls had curled up to sleep in the "Summer house" a 10 by 10 living space that includes a TV.  It's very relaxing and comfortable out there.  Soon enough it was bed time and some of the girls went to sleep in the "house" and one went off with her mother in the tent.  My girlfriend and I sat up in the dark and chatted.  When my girlfriend beat a hasty retreat to the bathroom I heard an animal savaging in the garbage and was at once alarmed.  I had no protective 5 mm of tent surrounding me, it was night time and I couldn't see what was making the noise.   I investigated the scene with a flash light but was not able to catch the culprit.  Suddenly this familiar place that I've known for 30 plus years became an obstacle course of picnic tables and trees I couldn't quite remember being planted.  It magically transformed into a brand new place and a scary place at that!

During the day located the offending garbage pail and cleaned up the mess.  It occurred whilst watching my Father clean up the mess, that having MS is kind of like being in a familiar place after dark.  Things are happening and you can't see them, and your body becomes unfamiliar, new and scary.  Its the same old body you have lived with for so many years but suddenly something happens and things aren't quite what the seem.  Things don't work the same and you aren't sure what will happen next because you can't see it coming.

Regardless the birthday party was a smash even if we had to clean up some garbage!