“When prescribing one of the drugs I take, my doctor warned me of a common side effect: exaggerated, intensely vivid dreams. To be honest, I’ve never really noticed the difference. I’ve always dreamt big.” -Michael J. Fox, Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist (pg. 276)
I just finished reading Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist by Michael J. Fox. When my friend, Kat, suggested I read it, having completed it herself, I thought, what the hell – I have nothing else on the go and I’m always in need of a good book.
Always Looking Up
Most people loved Fox from the Back to the Future series, but not me. Sure, they were good, but I fell in love with his acting when watching Life with Mikey. Now, if you haven’t seen it, I suggest you go out and rent it/download it and when feeling a bit under the weather you should curl up on the couch and give it a watch. He is hilarious. I have many fond memories growing up of watching the film while home sick from school. Well that and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off of course.
Life with Mikey
The memoir focuses on the last decade of Fox’s life with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Diagnosed at the age of 29, he shares his still hectic life, but this time, it isn’t filled with acting and producing responsibilities, but rather with advocacy work, interviews, raising money and meeting with politicians. Oh and don’t forget the four kids and a supportive wife that require attention. Actually, some of the most beautiful moments in the book were when he reflects on the support of his wife Tracy and shares his proud father and husband moments.
The book is split into four sections: work, politics, faith and family. He talks about the shift from acting to advocacy. He throws himself into the political boxing ring, with democrats and republicans alike, to promote the benefits of a stem cell research. He questions his idea of faith and raising children in the Jewish faith. He talks candidly and proudly about his family and his search to be a good father and husband. A man of lesser character may have succumbed to PD, but not Mike. The book is filled with honest, humble and humourous anecdotes that will easily remind you why he stole teenage hearts in Family Ties. Tales to look forward to include how raising toddlers is like being on suicide watch (pg. 231), teaching his son Sam how to ride a bike (pg. 187), and Mike’s journey to get home after the 9/11 terrorist attacks (pg. 214).
He faces a lot of struggles that often leave PD patients suffering from depression. But not once will you sense that Mike feel sorry for himself, instead he feels lucky. He doesn’t let PD slow him down. He just does things a bit differently now. Plus, he has enough celebrity to be given a platform and enough support to go out there and educate about the challenges of PD and the need for a cure. Those who came before him inspire him: Muhammad Ali and Christopher Reeves. Throughout the book you can see Fox is inspired in Reeve’s belief that “optimism + information = hope” (pg. 271). But now Fox will leave a whole new generation inspired to make their own contribution to changing the world.
PD patients and families must be pretty thankful for Michael J. Fox. Where would their disease be without him? Hardly making a dent with all the cancer horror stories out there I imagine. With establishing the Michael J. Fox Foundation, he has raised more money than any other foundation out there and has supported a community of research that puts an importance of sharing information and moving forward together.
It’s funny – I don’t know Mike. I’ve never met him or anyone who knows him. But being from the same neck of the woods (Lower Mainland BC), and having read his prose, I am left feeling proud of this man doing good work in the world, who just so happen to have driven down some of the same small roads that I did growing up.
