Parkinson's: Clowning Around in a Quest to Lighten Up

 

A Journey Into Parkinson's with Nancy Mellon

Coordinated by Corrine Bayraktaroglu

In the Quest to Lighten Up

At 10:30 pm, last Sunday, I joined a clown community called “Clown For Life.”  The time is important to my story. For about a week, I had been getting email updates, about different parts of this opportunity from Barnaby,  a clown teacher and performer.  His logo is “Clown Spirit.'  To be a Founding member and get a founder's rate, I needed to join by Sunday at midnight. I hadn't yet decided to join, when I had something happen that disturbed me.

On Sunday, I met up with an artist friend that I hadn't seen in a while. We chatted, and then I asked her if she was doing any art and she said no.  But, she said, she was singing in the World House Choir and she felt that was fulfilling her creative desires.  I agreed, and said,  I too wasn't creating much art, but that I wrote a blog  called 'Snarky Parky & me,' about my journey into Parkinson's and that felt creative to me too.

Her face dropped and I realized that she didn't know I had Parkinson's. I had thought that she did. I quickly said it was not too bad and I was doing fine.  But later that night, I realized that I wanted/needed some other persona besides someone who has Parkinson's.

So, I got out of bed, and went downstairs and signed up for the 'Clown For Life” community.

This week,  I have already had a clowning class on 'Play.' (Sounds like fun doesn't it?)

Barnaby has a big online library of clown videos and classes he's taught and books and articles about clowning. So,  I've also listened to a couple of Barnaby's deep talks on the history of Clowning, Fools and Shamen. Whew, I do mean deep. I will need to listen to them again and take notes!

I've had 2 small group, coaching sessions and signed up for a class at the end of the month by a visiting, world-renowned female clown.  Today I will watch a live interview by Barnaby with 2 Italian Clowns who teach Physical Comedy.

 And then there was the synchronicity that happened:

•       Last week, I had tuned into a webinar by the Parkinson's Foundation on PD Dementia. It turned out to not be a good idea for me to watch it, it scared me, so I turned it off.

•       Dementia is a part of my history with my mom. In her last years of life,  she had Parkinson's dementia. She was very unhappy and I couldn't do anything that made her happy. I know now that you can't 'make' anyone happy. It was a very sad and frustrating time for  both of us.

•       Last week, I also got an email from Barnaby with an invitation to tune in to an interview he was doing with 2 clowns that run international Clown Schools. They were going to talk about Medical Clowning, in particular, clowning with people who have Dementia.

Wow!  I wrote Barnaby back excitedly. I'll be there with bells on my toes! (Well maybe not but it would have been appropriate.)

When the two clowns spoke about their experiences of  clowning for people with dementia, their faces lit up. These two men actually glowed, as they enthusiastically talked about how the people with Dementia, were the stars of the show. It became their show. The people came  alive, they connected with the clowns and the clowns felt connected to them.  The oldsters (most were older  people) loved helping the clowns out of the predicaments they got into.  It gave them purpose and dignity and laughter. People who hadn't talked for months, talked to the clowns and guided them. It sounded amazing. I want to learn more about this kind of clowning.

That was my first week in the Clown for Life community.

Cheers,

Nancy & the Snark

Footnotes From Corrine

Well you know you have my full support

From Clutzy Chlorrine