Multiple Sclerosis, movies, movement and tributes to two stars
“Neither can this MS chick!”
That’s what I groaned.
Let me set the real, weird, nonsensical scene for you, the moment when the above gripe came to me.
On a lazy morning while I was trying to get ready for the day, I was playing music while I did morning stuff- put dishes away, make the bed, brush my teeth, try to drum up the energy to jump in the shower…
(Does one REALLY jump into the shower? Or do we carefully step in to avoid potential falls?)
It was just over a month since Tim Curry passed and, in his honor, I pulled up The Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack on Spotify. Then I started doing less stuff, procrastinating more and singing and dancing to the album.
Scary, rocky horror imagery, I know.
With my summer of foot troubles, I haven’t been walking as much as usual, so dancing at home is my go-to exercise.
(You want to be REALLY horrified? Belly and Bollywood dancing classes on YouTube are my favs. In my pj’s. Picture that for Halloween!)
Anyway, I know this score well. I mean, I grew you in a cool hippie and trans friendly town and went to midnight showings of the movie-possibly even the night before going to Mass to appease the other Portuguese-Catholic side of my hometown.
(Quite a beautiful distinction between the two which made me less likely to suffer from identity issues than you would think. Diversity is beautiful when done with love and respect.)
I was having a great time not getting laundry together when the “Time Warp” came on. I thought if AnnMarie called and asked what I was doing it would be fun to say I was doing the “Time Warp.”
Problem is, I couldn’t DO the “Time Warp.”
Not really.
I could sing it.
I could act it out.
But when it came time to dance it, it was the jump to the left part that threw me! Despite still dancing and dancing this dance A LOT in my late teens/early twenty years, I couldn’t jump to the left.
I could step to the right.
I could put my hands on my hips, which was impressive. One of the other issues going on with my body is something bizarre called “frozen shoulder” which is not improving despite all the PT exercises I don’t do.
I could bend my knees in tight.
And while I could do the pelvic thrust, it didn’t really drive me insane.
But that damn jump to the left was not happening.
What the hell is that about?
I kind of big stepped/swung/swirled to the left but it was definitely not a jump.
The title of the Woody Harrelson/Wesley Snipes movie came to mind- White Men Can’t Jump.
Well neither can this middle aged- another horrific thought- disabled white chick!
Damn did that kill the mood. I still pretended to be Magenta and Columbia during their “Time Warp” solos, but it was not the same.
What caused my inability to jump to the left?
Was it age?
Was it multiple sclerosis?
Was it a bit of a mind flip?
Had I entered the time slip?
(Funny how I never linked multiple sclerosis to the “Time Warp” before- it all makes so much sense now!)
Was it a year of bizarre, only possible in my zany medical world, left foot issues.
(Turns out there is a movie called My Left Foot. Maybe I need to watch it.)
Did the white men in the movie used to be able to jump?
What caused them to no longer be able to jump?
(I never actually saw THAT movie. I mean, it was about basketball. But damn, the title sure stays with you thirty years later when you’re trying to do the “Time Warp.”)
Earlier, during my ‘procrastinating with tea’ part of the morning, I saw a video explaining parkour. I had never heard of it. It’s basically learning to make the most of your body getting from place A to B, no matter the obstacle, just using your body with things like jumps, rolls, and climbs.
Think those TV competition shows and those FB reels you watch even though you have no idea why.
(Who knew the activity of those addictive viewing moments had a name? And a fancy one at that!)
It looks fascinating, but hard!
And, it requires strength, balance and mental clarity- all things that multiple sclerosis likes to attack.
Damn!
I tried in person belly dancing classes but really stunk at them. Still, they were fun and hence, why I started doing them at home, alone, watching YouTube.
Sometimes.
Maybe I need to do them more.
And be more consistent with parkour.
Hey, that rhymes.
And also sounds way too advanced for me.
Especially since not being able to jump during a cool, 70’s dance like the “Time Warp” was enough to get me to become depressed, crawl back into bed and put on a movie. Maybe one of the three I have mentioned here. Or maybe “9-5,” in memory of Dolly,
(That, by the way, is a song I CAN dance too.)
But Spotify kept on playing and next was “Sweet Tranvestite,” a song requiring a lot of fun and no jumping.
Just camp.
And one of my favorite Meatloaf dance songs, “Hot Patootie,” was up after that.
(If I am ever on a dance show, I want to do the jive to this one. But I may need to work on jumping, even little jumps. AND consume a ton of energy bars!)
I guess the point of all this is losing skills for whatever reason- age, MS– sucks.
But we can still work on them, especially if we do it in a fun way.
Maybe my jump to the left has to be a swing to the left, at least for now.
But if I am having fun and moving when possible, I guess it’s all good.
Like with all things, I can mourn and be sad for a bit. But if I can try to have positive fun, that is good too.
I didn’t go back to bed.
I sang “Sweet Tranvestite” and then I carefully stepped in the shower.
Then I wrote a blog so you could laugh at me describing how I acted out “Sweet Tranvestite” while moving past the “not being able to jump to the left” lament.
And through it all, I ushered a respectful nod to Tim Curry and to Dolly Parton. Thank you for the fun memories and doing what you do, as much as you could, for eighty long years.
FYI Sorry there are no pictures of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Tim or Dolly in this post.
You’ll just have to use your memories, imagination and/or favorite search engine.
I can only use images from a free licensing website, and they just didn’t have either of these lovely people in their collection.
I mean, how can you not have a free photo website that doesn’t include Frank N. Furter???!!!
And, just for some pre-Halloween fun, if you could play any character from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, who would you want to play? Let me know in the comments below.
I bet you think I would go for Janet but nope- I want to play Magenta.
Or Riff Raff..
