Comedy, Courage, and Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud

I’ve been looking forward to the new season of Shrinking, and I’ve got to say, it landed for me.

Is it a little over the top? Yes.
Pretty campy? Also yes.
Does it somehow still manage to sneak up on you with moments that feel very real? Absolutely.

There’s a scene in episode one where Harrison Ford’s character, Paul, who lives with Parkinson’s, meets another patient at the doctor, Gerry, played by Michael J. Fox.

They look at each other and say something simple and honest:

“F**k Parkinson’s.”

I thought to myself, I bet my Rock Steady Boxing members would really resonate with that line.

That moment isn’t about anger for the sake of anger. It’s not denial. It’s refusal. Refusal to let a diagnosis become the headline of a life.

Sure, there are struggles. We all have them. Some are louder. Some heavier. Some show up uninvited and never really leave. But the struggle doesn’t get to decide who we are.

What I see every week through Rock Steady Boxing is exactly that mindset in action. People showing up. Moving their bodies. Laughing when they can. Getting frustrated when they have to. And doing it together.

“F**k Parkinson’s” isn’t giving up.
It’s choosing to keep going.

We keep living.
We keep moving forward.
And it’s a whole lot easier when you have people in your corner.

We’ll find a way around it. Or a way through.
Because that’s just what we do.

— Brian