“If you wouldn’t mind filling in these while I prepare the injection – sorry, I know there’s some duplication, but that’s the NHS for you.”

We have the world’s loveliest pharmacist.  He’s a great listener, great professional and bedrock for the community.  When I walked into his shop for my first lot of Parkinson’s meds and promptly burst into tears, he was kindness personified.  Plus he listens to Radio Four and can converse intelligently about The Archers.  So I will fill in any amount of forms while he prepares my flu jab.

At the Cure Parkinson’s thing the other week, one of the researchers was particularly vociferous on the need for us Parkies to have flu jabs, which impelled me to move it up the to-do list.  So here I am, filling in the form which determines my entitlement to be jabbed.  I’m still under sixty – a positive stripling – so need to qualify by virtue of having one of the designated health conditions.  I scan for the box to tick … and read “an evolving neurological condition.”

I love the use of the word “evolving.”  Usually PD is described as ‘progressive’ or ‘degenerative’ or ‘chronic’.  But evolving sounds so much more interesting, redolent of unknown, higher-order possibilities.  Next time someone asks about the tremor, I shall let it slip that I am just of a more evolved species.

On the question of which, clearly lower down the food chain is the Neanderthal who, this week, thought it totally hilarious to tweet Michael J Fox and suggest he does the ‘mannequin challenge’.  Said challenge is where a group of people stand still, posing as mannequins while someone videos them to post on the internet.  It’s like Musical Statues but without the music, or the kid in the corner being sick from eating too much cake.

MJF’s reply said it all: he promptly tweeted back ‘SMH’*.  Now there’s an evolved man for you.

Have a good week.

* The Urban Dictionary defines “SMH” as Acronym for ‘shake my head’ or ‘shaking my head.’ Usually used when someone finds something so stupid, no words can do it justice.