Consider this your Declaration of Independence

Consider this your Declaration of Independence from Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease.

The Army of Change is a movement of the people, by the people, and for the people. It is a belief held with in the mind, and heart of those willing to be progressive. It is demonstrated by the actions of an Advocate.

It is the belief that in the war against Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease each person's efforts are neither greater or less important than those of others, but rather equally important. We believe that when a cure is found and one disease falls, the others will soon fall afterward.

It is the belief that together as a unified force we can show the world - with our numbers - that finding a cure for these diseases is not only important for the present population, but for the protection and preservation of future generations.

It is the belief that while Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases impacts each of our lives in our own ways, it does not make us islands unto ourselves, isolated and alone in our struggles and experiences. These diseases have no ethnic, religious or political boundaries and no one is above their impact.

I am not the American Advocate.

You are not the German Man with Parkinson's Disease.

She is not the Spanish Woman with Alzheimer's Disease, and so on.

Nationality, ethnicity, religion and political parties all fall by the wayside and above each are simply...People.

We are continents of People willing to work hard, and willing to work unselfishly together in order to fight to conquer Alzheimer's & Parkinson's Disease.

Most importantly we believe that action speaks louder than words, and in the battle to conquer these diseases no one can stand idly by doing absolutely nothing and hoping that another person is fighting for them. In "The Army of Change", you are "the Army of Change" and you will personally become an advocate fighting to save yourself. By doing so you protect your fellow family & friends in this great effort to find the cures.

We believe that through our efforts we will drive the world to find the cures with in our lifetime.Yes, time is on our side!

Science & Technology are on our side.

Networking & the internet are on our side.

Our own personal energy is on our side.

Our commitment to the cause is on our side.

There has never been a better time than now to have all the pieces fall together to find these cures. But, the most important element in the whole formula for our success ... is you.

We need you're honest, hard working, altruistic, efforts as a soldier in the war against Alzheimer's & Parkinson's Disease, because when we all do a little, much can be done.

If you believe you can make a difference and are willing to work hard for the good of all mankind to Raise Awareness and Funds for Research and Caregiver programs then repeat after me:

"In the conquest of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease,I am the Army of Change. I was born to end this."

World up,

Enzo

Becoming an Advocate - Shell Shocked.

Well, I really have to say that over the last few months I feel as though I’ve been standing in place, motionless, and in shell shock of what has transpired over the last few years, and I’ve been in this battle for more than 5 years. At the same time I feel paralyzed and find myself procrastinating over what I need to do over the next few. But, who am I to feel any differently from other people, don't we all get this way sometimes? I’ll push myself through it, I always do.

There are a thousand ways and a thousand reasons for people to feel shell shocked, but let me talk about the shell shocked advocate.

Remember the times when everything was perfect? No one you cared for had Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s Disease. They were innocently fantastic times. Who knew any of this was coming? As long as you and your family weren’t caught up in the complicated life then who really had a care in the world.

Maybe it was all a blind sided surprise you never saw coming. To your knowledge, it’s possible no one in your family had ever been struck. Or, maybe instead of being blind sided you closed your own eyes and chose to ignore the possibility that this could land at your feet. Right now the how’s and why’s about how you got here don’t matter..

BAM!
You, your friend or your family just got hit! Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s just dropped in on your life like a bomb, and you’re shell shocked.

What you choose to do next just may save you, save your friends, save your family, and save us all. Choice is a powerful thing.

You could stand still shell shocked feeling hopeless, not caring, not knowing, not doing anything to help yourself, your family or the cause. There are a million reasons and excuses to come up with about why you can’t do anything about it. You might not be rich enough to make a difference. You might not be well known enough to make a difference. You might not have the time to make a difference. You might not this, you might not that. You might not be a doctor, or a politician, or a researcher, or a movie star, or a singer.

You might just be one person living in a little town in the middle of nowhere no one knows, or maybe you’re just one person in a sea of millions living in a great city in the middle of somewhere everyone knows. You might have a thousand directions to take for your first move but you’re not going anywhere. Why? You’re shell shocked, shy and intimidated by a disease you don’t know much about other than it’s just impacted your life.

That’s your welcome to Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease.

In this world you can be your own greatest Allie or worst Enemy. Will you build a bridge over the ocean to a world where the rising sun glows like hope on the far side. Or will you burn the bridge, sink the ships and stand on the shore facing West to watch the last rays of the setting sun run away with your dreams. It’s a big world, and while you might feel alone and isolated as if you and yours are the only family experiencing the impact of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, let me tell you that you are not alone.

Let me show you what an Army of Change can look like.

The Average American Family has 3.14 people in it. In a family with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson's that would be one person with the disease as well as the primary caregiver and a son / daughter who also acts as a caregiver. The family is impacted as a unit, is it not?

The average number of people in the world who have Parkinson’s Disease is 6 Million.

The average number of people in the world who have Alzheimer’s Disease is 24 million.

That’s 30 Million people who actually have Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. That’s a big number.

So now let’s be very conservative and use the American Family size as a multiplier, keeping in mind that no one is above getting Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s and in many third world countries these diseases also exist but the average family size is much higher than 3.14. So here we go...

3.14 x 30 million people = ...Ok sit down for this one... 94.2 million people.

That’s 94.2 million people who have been impacted just like you. That’s 94.2 million people with a choice just like you. Parents, sisters, brothers, husbands, wives, children all in the family. Will they remain alone, isolated and do nothing to fight these diseases? Or will they stand up for themselves, the ones they love and the cause, and say I’m going to fight back.

What will you do?

Imagine what 94.2 million people could do if they worked together. Now, that’s one hell of an Army if you ask me! Even in comparison the US Military only has 2,932,400 (2.93 million) people in it which includes both active and reserve personnel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_armed_forces
We’ve got 32 times more impacted people to fight for us, than the US Military has. We need to harness this energy, stand up for ourselves and fight for a cure in the Army of Change.

But never mind all those numbers for a minute and let’s get back to you and your struggle with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.

I know it’s not fair, we didn’t ask for any of this to happen. No one wants Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s in their family. It’s definitely ok to cry and get upset about it. You can even be afraid of it or get mad about it here, we’re all an extended family. Sometimes the emotions run close to the surface, and sometimes you can hide them down deep. But, to sink to the bottom chained to your sadness and to wallow there, or worse to give up forever is a big, big, big, mistake in my book. I want you to be fueled and inspired by any emotion that will drive you to make a difference in this battle against these diseases, but never be held down by them. Let them move you into the arena armed with a passion to conquer, and when you step into it come out swinging.

So, you decide that enough is enough. While this disease came to you and your family, you don’t need to take it lying down. You want to fight back. You want to become an advocate. You want to become a part of this nebulous force we call “The Army of Change”. The next step is to become an Advocate. How?

Ah don’t we all wish there were an instruction guide on how to be the perfect advocate. I know I’ve fallen on my face so many times while trying to learn how, that it hurts just to think of it. The guide doesn't exist, but the good examples are all around us.

Over the next few months I am going to meet with, talk to, and collect ideas, tips, and advice from the best of the best advocates I can find. I’m going to learn what makes them tick, what got them into this, and what they think is important. And finally, I’m going to condense it all for you to learn exactly what makes them so good at being an Advocate in the conquest of Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease.

After all, we only live once. We need to cure these diseases now, there are no do over’s in life.

I can’t make you become an advocate. I can only tell you this is your chance to re-write your own destiny. This is your chance to help find the cures yourself. I can only hope to learn the way in time to show you the way. The Army of Change is moving out. The choice is always yours. Doing nothing should not even be on your list of options. Join us. Make a difference like I believe you can.

What will you do? The choice is yours.
The world is depending on you.

World up,
Enzo

World-up-ism

The future is what you make it.
People tend to look at those who don't fix their eyes on the world around them as strange.
Maybe they're looking at the world the rest of us just can't see yet, and are deep in trying to figure out how to get the rest of us there.

-VRS

World-up-ism

As I've said a thousand times...
You can't give light to the sun. It was only made to give and never receive.
You should do the same.

-VRS

The Act and the Reward

Well, well, well, doesn't it seem that there is some tension among the troops in this battle to conquer Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease?

Some people are only willing to fight if there is a guaranteed positive outcome for themselves. Unfortunately life has no guarantees. Everything is always half chance. All we can ever do is try.

It's sad to hear that some people are willing to fight only if they are rewarded. I know the reward being asked is not much. Sometimes it's just a simple beautiful "thank you". To me, that's a nice reward and more than anyone ever needs. But I think that when a person wants to be singled out and thanked above and beyond his peers, and above and beyond his fellow advocates, then this tells me that "to want" for the sake of yourself is a part of your character and you may never have taken part in the great effort if you would not be pulled aside and given a private "thanks".

I tell anyone who comes on my team that there are no rock stars here, and that people can check their ego at the door on the way in, or take it with them on the way out. I tell them if they want to be a hero, if they want big thank you, hugs, attention, fame, kind words of thanks, then they came here for the wrong reasons. I tell my team mates to never expect anything from anyone, anywhere. We aren't called the "Rock Stars", we're called "the Regulars". We have even gone so far as to create a set of 11 rules "the Regulars" must work under.

I tell them - you will never be paid to do this.
I tell them - you will actually have to pay for it yourselves in many ways; financially, physically, mentally, emotionally. A new person considering becoming one of "the Regulars" may ask "why we don't take advantage of these things by getting sponsors to cover our costs?" I say because this is your sacrifice. How do you expect others to sacrifice enough to make donations toward research on your behalf if you haven't paid your dues first.

If they have a hard time understanding that, or understanding the concept of doing something for the sake of good and not for thanks in any form - well then I tell them to imagine the top of a mountain they have been struggling to reach the summit of. They may have been climbing for days. They may have spent months preparing for the moment they reach the top. Their muscles burn. Their head aches. They are sick from fatigue or the altitude and find themselves throwing up on their own feet as they walk on. BUT, finally they get there and it's done....they made it to their goal. This is their summit.

I could tell them to look around them.
There is no welcoming committee.
There is no parade.
There are no banners flying with their names on them.
There is no hand shake or pat on the back.
There is no hug.
There is no one there to say thank you for doing this for the cause.
There's just you, the wind, the stone, the snow and the big silent world below you.

I could walk up to them there on the summit and ask "Why did you do this?"
"For the cause." they should say.
"Was it hard?"
"Yes, harder than anything I've ever done."
"What if it was harder, would you have done this?"
"Yes".
"Why?"
"Because doing what I can to conquer these diseases is too important not to try."
"Do you want anything in return?" I might ask.
There can only be one answer for anyone in "the Regulars", and it should always be the same. "Nothing other than the cures".

As I've said a thousand times... You can't give light to the sun. It was only made to give and never receive.

The moral behind this is that doing something good is both the "act" and the "reward".
There is no need for special attention or thank you's beyond that.

World up,
E

World-up-ism

When a man knows what he wants, the world has a way of stepping aside for him.

If he has bled enough for his cause, it just may let him have it.

When I say I was born to end this, I believe it has been generations in the making.

I am the Army of Change.

-VRS

Senior Times Magazine

Here is a recent article about the Regulars in the Senior Times Magazine (Ohio) November 2009. It was written by Pam Spence and is also the very first article to mention the "10 Mountains 10 Years" movie!

Sorry for not having the link to post it sooner. I hope you like it!

World up,
E

Click the link: http://www.backlightproductions.com/pdf/senior_times_magazine_2009.pdf