Peter M. Hunt's Blog, page 2

View from the shadows

A child is not born judging others, still, society’s pernicious labeling impacts a toddler’s life almost immediately. The child, guilty only of compliance, often reaches adulthood with a dualistic interpretation of the world, a simplistic understanding of all things dark or weird as bad.

Being characterized as “weird” doesn’t mean something is wrong with an individual, much less that there is anything “bad” about them. Being considered weird speaks more to the “normal” person’s focus than...

DBS – A ten year anniversary

Today marks the tenth anniversary of being released from the Neuro ICU after my life-altering Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery the day before. The four-hour procedure, during which the patient must stay awake, was conducted on November 5th, 2014.

Although not the most terrifying or dangerous situation encountered in my 62 years, brain surgery is right up there in the top three for intensity, mostly due to its length. Of particular discomfort was the drilling of two holes in my skull.

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Watching the sunset

The decision to watch the sunset was made at home, thirty-five minutes before the sun officially dipped below the horizon.

Such is the advantage – even with mini adventures – of keeping the broad strokes familiar. The ocean offers sufficient surprises to catch even the most seasoned mariners off balance, occasionally putting them back on their heels, a sensation all too familiar, as Parkinson’s works away at my equilibrium.

If it were balance alone, it wouldn’t be so bad. But, in fate’s uniquely d...

Figuring it out

A Parkinson’s disease (PD) diagnosis is life-changing, and feeling sorry for yourself is natural. However, playing the victim is not a good place to linger if you want to be around for the long run. It took me eight years of living with the victim mindset before its impact became clear—I had created a self-limiting belief system that was making life miserable. Since then, my overall contentment and happiness have grown each year with occasional visits by an untethered joy that leaves me in tears...

Doubling down on kindnesss

While waiting in line at the post office yesterday, the distinctive banter of relaxation beyond boredom danced in my ears.

“Hey Bernie,” a young woman, the only person working the front counter, called to her coworker in the back sorting mail. “Would you get me something to drink?”

The query caught me off guard. Still, her voice sharpened my awareness, her raw authenticity radiating in emotional turmoil.

“Come on, Bernie. It will take five minutes, please?” she continued in a soothing v...

View from the shadows.

The heat of the June sun is in perfect harmony with the gusty wind, forming the perfect bond between two of nature’s most primal forces. This enhances the illusion of greater meaning in man’s imagined machinations. Days like this usually surprise me with unexpected complexity.

I continue my walk. The bright sun threatens to wash out the panorama, revealing the truth and exposing the order’s decay. Yet, as I walk in the threatening light, experiencing life’s price of admission, a generalized d...

Powerful words.

Yesterday, with the welcome surprise of a burst of creative energy, I went grocery shopping. Unabashedly wearing my tell of a giant dopey smile, I started off in the produce section, my shuffling gait drawing the gaze of curious onlookers.

As my silent assessment ended, eyes gradually withdrew from my direction except for one pair. I looked up and saw a vaguely familiar face, surprisingly, with no judgment in his stare.

The man spoke. “Hi Pete, it’s Dean, Steve’s neighbor.”

As I kicked ...

The authenticity of being

To be one’s authentic self, one first needs to appreciate the joyful consequence of simply being, shedding all important sounding concepts, represented in our language by words such as “meaning” and “purpose,” words that mislead the thinking mind’s egoic self, inflating the two labels beyond tangible reality to a deceptive vitality. There is no set route; everyone has a different path, their own discretely unique cross to bear.

Yet, still, the destination remains the same — death. The road ta...

The Surreal thing

January 2, 2024

It is surreal to consider that it was just one year ago I started my Parkinson’s comeback. Much has changed in the past 12 months as my Parkinson’s “progressed,” a word ordinarily reserved for positive characterizations.

Although my symptoms have indeed worsened, my mitigation efforts have added significantly more “time of useful consciousness” to the day, as we used to call it in the Navy. The last year has been progressively more difficult, but since when is easier better...

2023’s final sun.

December 31, 2033

It is odd – according to common thinking – that as each year gets more difficult for me, my happiness and sense of contentment proportionately grow greater as well. There are many reasons for this, but I believe the crux of the answer lies in perspective.

I honestly don’t feel anything for what the future holds for me—I am just so thankful to all my family, friends, and followers for believing in me through your support and tolerance of what sometimes can look like childi...