Quote of the Week...from Michael J. Fox

One's dignity may be assaulted, vandalized, and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered.                                             ...Michael J. Fox

Michael J. Fox, of course, is the talented actor who starred as teen prodigy Alex Keaton in the '80s hit  comedy sitcom Family Ties and later of Back to the Future fame, along with other film and television appearances.  In recent years he is more known as an advocate for those suffering from Parkinson's Disease, having become afflicted with it himself.  I lifted his above quote from a posting by Roy, a Facebook friend I knew way back in the eighth grade at Nova High in Davie, Florida the year before they switched to a middle school format...Roy is also a bold, articulate spokesman on behalf of those with Parkinson's, a real inspiration.  Fox's quote deals with dignity and how its retention is up to its possessor, not with other people.  That's true, and no one should measure their own sense of self-worth or esteem by how they are treated by others...especially by those who seek to destroy or demean them.  But I would add to the quote that while each of us has the power and authority to refuse to surrender our dignity to others, it is also important not to overly obsess about it.  I remember the old 90's movie Forrest Gump with Tom Hanks playing the title role.  In it people were continually putting down Forrest for his relatively low intelligence...but while he understood what was going on, he also disciplined himself from early on to focus outside his own self and toward others and the world instead of continually challenging those who would rob him of his dignity: the result was a life well-lived and full of love and great experiences.  An example I think I could stand to follow more in my own life, and one a few others around me might consider as well...