Parkinson’s Law: C Nortcote Parkinson wrote and proposed this satirical criticism simply put “work expands to fill the time available for it’s completion.” This principal is for business, as it goes, an official in order to appear busy makes up tasks to do. They, however, then need assistants to help do these tasks. This in itself creates more work for themselves since they now have to supervise the assistants. The assistancts have to spend time making reports back to the official who has to check them. Soon it is too busy in the office so more assistants and supervisors need to be hired.
Parkinson’s Disease: A progressive disorder of the nervous system named after James Parkinson, Who first wrote about it.
On the surface, these seem to be different, yet upon a second look…
I have Parkinsons disease, yet as time has progressed I also find I’m living Parkinson’s law! It seems everything has expanded to fill the time allotted and then some! I take longer for everything now.
I now have a cell phone. My service went out awhile back so now just in case I have the cell, which I’ve found out I should carry whenever I go anywhere or I’ll catch Heck! See Parkinson’s Law sneak in there? The cell is just in case service goes out. “Now, carry it with you when you go out!” And this new technology is baffling, I had to ask my PCA how to setup the voice mail on it. My message is “Hang on I’m probably here trying to figure out how to answer this thing!” I’ll stop before get going on microwaves and trying to work a TV remote with the tremors!
Caregivers/partners also run into Parkinson’s Law! I have found reading the forum posts, that in order to get a breather from us, they have to find adult daycare or someone to come stay with us. They check references, drop us off, pick us up or rush around cleaning if someone is coming into the house. This is all time consuming and additional work. Then while they are “enjoying” their break from us, they: Watch the time to make sure they’re not going to be late, call in checking on how we are doing and later ask for a report of how it went while they were away having a “break” from everything.
Just more irony, two different things seemingly linked only by the authors having the same last name. Yet when looked at deeper, so similar.
Well, that’s enough musing for now I’ve gotta go fight with the remote. I better put batteries on my shopping list! You can never have enough of them around, ya know.
Editor’s Note: Al corresponded on our Forum, using the screen name LOHENGR1N. He was diagnosed with Parkinsons in 1986.
Al was a Parkinson’s patient from Massachusetts. A divorced, father of three and Grandfather of four, he lived with his Service Dog in the Berkshire Mountains in the far western end of the State. Al was a welder before Parkinson’s changed his life. During his battle with Parkinson’s, he strove to educate people, the State legislature, medical field personnel, and general public about Parkinson’s Disease and it’s effects upon patient, family and loved ones. To that end, Al has served as the State and Congressional coordinator for Parkinsons Action Network in Massachusetts. Mr. Alan Stanley Labendz, 67, of Adams, died on Friday, March 27, 2020, at his home.