“What do you do?”

You know when you are meeting someone new, they always ask, “What do you do?”.  A flash of your life goes through your mind as you slightly begin to panic.  How do you define yourself in 30 words or less? Then, without a pause, you spout our the most superhero, ‘cliff notes’ version of yourself.  We all do it. But what really defines us, cannot be summarized into a paragraph.  My life cannot be categorized into comfortable, clean boxes.  So what do I do?

My name is Allison. I am a thirty-something girl who has been a medical anomaly since age 13.  I wanted to help people, you know, to really make a difference. So I went to graduate school to become a therapist and during my second year, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The only thing that made sense to me was to give back.  I launched a program, “Parkinson’s in Balance” in 2010 with the drive to help in my community.  My program offers fitness classes, support groups and events.  You can also follow my advocacy work through my blog.  Don’t underestimate the power of sharing what you do, you might just give inspiration to someone in need of a boost.