The Wisdom of Marty McFly

Turns out the one egg wasn't so good after all. It was a bad egg, and failed to fertilize. So that's all she wrote....for now anyway. All these bruises on my stomach for nothing. All the bloating and weight gain and anxiety. Oh well. We are sad and disappointed. I knew my eggs were old and in short supply. I just didn't think they were on life-support. So I look forlornly at the box filled with syringes and "sharps" and alcohol swabs and vials of syrupy medicine. I kick it across the room.

A nurse who was taking my blood the other day was shocked to look on my chart and see my birthday. "How old are you?" she asked.

"I'm 42" I replied.

"I can't believe it. When you walked in, I thought you were 25!'"

"Well, thanks, you made my day" I smiled. I get comments like this occassionally. And I'm usually flattered and happy. But it gets me nowhere when it comes to procreating.

I wanted to tell her, "Thanks, but just take a look at my ovaries. Apparently they're members of AARP and drive a beige Buick."

So I was bummed all day and David cried and then he left for Wilmette to play hockey and I stayed home and surfed TV so I wouldn't have to think about my bad eggs. I saw Michael J. Fox was on Inside the Actor's Studio and so I paused my surfing to see what he had to say. Marty McFly. Teenage Warewolf. Alex P. Keaton. Parkinsons sufferer. In this interview he wasn't shaking too badly. His meds were working well, apparently, although he did have to interupt the interview once to take more pills. He said lots of wise things because when you're dealing with something like Parkinsons, or any kind of suffering for that matter, you can either fight it, have a temper tantrum and become bitter and angry, or you can step into and let it change you.

At the end of the interview some of the acting student asked him questions. The last question was asked by a young, freshman student who had dark hair and black plastic frame glasses and a silky complexion and she started crying as she stood up. She revealed that she was recently diagnosed with a neurological disease similar to Parkinsons, and she was asking Michael J. Fox whether it was realistic for her to try to become an actress. And whether she should try to hide her disease, or be open about it. She was wiping tears from her face as she spoke.

How did Michael J. Fox answer? Be honest, he said. And see what happens. When you embrace your situation, something will happen and chances are that it will be something good. Maybe it's not what you were expecting, but something good will come from it.

Marty McFly made me cry. And convinced me I need to step into this sad, empty wilderness and wait to see what happens next. Because even though I can't see it right now, there's a chance it could be something good.