You will endure much stupidity early in the course of your waltz with Parkinson's disease. You will continue to encounter this stupidity when your meds are still working well in the middle course of the dance. I'm talking about the people who, when you tell them you have Parkinson's (or that someone you love has it), reply... "Oh, but he looks FINE! Doesn't he look FINE? He looks FINE! Are they sure it isn't something else?"Now, from the person with Parkinson's (PWP) point of view, there are many snappy answers that used to rush to my lips when someone would tell me how great I looked. I will share them with you, if you promise to keep them to yourselves.1. Thank you. I feel like crud.2. Oh, that's just because my meds are working. You can hardly notice a thing when the meds are working. Tomorrow, I'll skip the meds so you can come watch me shake like a leaf and drool on myself.When they say stupid stuff like, "Are they sure it's Parkinson's? You look FIIIIINE!"1. Well, my neurologist says it is. Personally, I was hoping for Lou Gehrig's disease, but whatchagonna do?2. We haven't explored the possibility of demonic possession yet. Could you recommend a good exorcist?3. Nah. I'm just lying about having PD for the sympathy I get from all the hot babes at the swinger's clubs!Caregivers, you will deal with stupidity like, "Are you sure it's PD? I saw him walking yesterday and he wasn't even limping."1. Yeah? Well, I saw him first thing this morning before he took his meds and had to struggle to get out of bed. Then he knocked over his coffee cup and had to change his clothes. But we're happy that he can look so good for YOU! We wouldn't want to make YOU uncomfortable.2. I know. I'm grateful for the times when his meds are working well and he can walk without falling.3. I told him the same thing yesterday. We were at a movie and when we went in, he was just fine. But his meds wore off during the show and I had to help him out of his chair and hold his arm while we shuffled to the car. I told him, "Why are you always trying to make such a damn fool of yourself by having Parkinson's disease symptoms in public?" Then he started crying -- that's another symptom, they cry easily -- so I told him to quit being such a big baby and I just walked ahead of him and waited until he got to the car on his own. I mean, who wants to be seen with someone like THAT, right?No, the best thing to do is to try to explain why your PWP looks good now but could change at any moment, until the person you're talking to gets a glassed-over look in his or her eyes and changes the subject to the elimination round of American Idol.Now, one of the few good points of being more advanced in the condition is that people stop with the stupid remarks. Even when your meds ARE working, you can still tell that a Parky is a Parky at that stage.But this is why, here at the advent of yet another Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month, we need a REAL awareness campaign to TEACH people about PD, especially in its early stages. With a little education, maybe we can stop some of the stupidity.I will hold my breath waiting for that to happen starting,Now!