I'm a writer. I have to tell you that right up front, because that's where this blog begins. I've been working on a short story called "Vanishing Point".

I had the idea for the story based on the definition of vanishing point: "the point at which a thing disappears or ceases to exist." My story is about a woman driven to vanishing point. I got through the first few pages easily, lost in the world I was creating on paper, then the words slowed to a crawl… and stopped. I tapped my fingers on the desk, looked out the window, daydreamed about dinner, and then my eyes wandered back to the title. Those words. Vanishing point.

Isn't that what the MS Challenge Walk is all about? We're driven to find the point where MS ceases to exist. I have to confess, though, and say that sometimes, for me, that ultimate goal gets lost in the days prior to the walk. I spend hours agonizing over my fundraising: what event will work this year? Will people come? Will we make any money? Should we do a newsletter for our supporters? Have I tried enough? Have I trained enough? Are my teammates getting tired? Am I overworking them? And what about my kids?

By the time I get to the Cape, I've usually worked myself into a tizzy. And then I stand on the Hyannis Green, looking at the crowd of walkers and crew, feel the excitement crackle, listen to Todd, Lori, and Arlyn as they welcome us; by the time I'm under the balloon arch with my team, the nervousness disappears, and I remember why we're here. What the Walk is really all about.

Vanishing point.

It's all about perspective.

Diagnosed with MS in 1994, Patty responded the way many do: she refused to discuss it. It took her ten years to realize that silence isn't the answer. She, her friends and family formed the Blister Buddies for their first Challenge Walk in 2004. Patty is now on the Challenge Walk Steering Committee and chairs the PR Subcommittee. In November 2008, she became a member of the Greater NE Chapter's Board of Trustees.