"Things can't get any worse, they got to get better
I'm a little down under, but I'm feeling O.K.
Got a little lost along the way
I'm just around the corner to the light of day
Just around the corner to the light of day "
lyrics by: Bruce Springsteen


Bob Benjamin doesn't look like a hero...but, for sure, he is one.  Bob Benjamin doesn't talk like a hero...but certainly he is one. Bob Benjamin looks like you and me-his face frozen in that eternal "parkie" mask and his rigid body won't move the way that I'm sure that he would like it to move. But he is, none-the-less, a hero to us all. You see, although Bob has Parkinson's disease (like the rest of us), he has yet to let it take over his life nor his livelihood nor his passion-ROCK n' ROLL!! His spirit and his tenacity are the driving force behind the "LIGHT OF DAY" concerts.

I have just returned home from an awesome weekend in New York and New Jersey, where I had the pleasure of meeting Bob in person and attending his second annual birthday party/concert/PDF fundraiser. And it is a weekend that I will never forget!! Thursday, November 1st, Stan and I headed to the Peoria airport and on to Newark, New Jersey. To say that Stan was a bit apprehensive would be an understatement but as we made our connecting flight in Detroit, he even started to enjoy himself. After arriving in Newark, we were taken to the Parkinson Alliance & had the great pleasure of having Margaret Tuchman & Carol Walton all to ourselves. For those of you who are not familiar with these two women-(Margaret is the President of the PA and Carol is the Executive Director); I can think of no higher praise than to say that they impact & inspire those around them to reach goals that were unimaginable before being exposed to their kindness, love, courage and determination. My admiration and my respect for them both are boundless.

On Friday, after lunching at ORSO, an Italian restaurant in Manhattan-we were met by my dear and wonderful friends from PLWP: Janemartha and Randi (aka-Sunshine) and headed to the Jersey shore where we had reservations at the Molly Pitcher Inn. Now, I could do an entire story on this place but I will just give you the URL to the website and you can go browse, if you like. On Saturday, after many phone conversations, we had the honor of meeting Mr. Bob Benjamin in person at a late lunch before the show. We also met his friend of 20 years-Greg Danato. I found it quite telling, when, during one of his frequent "gotta go take care of something, excuse me, please" breaks from our table that when asked about the "real" Bob Benjamin, Greg replied that he had honestly never met a guy who was so trustworthy and reliable and such an all-around great person without a hint of ego. I had expected to find a stereotypical jersey guy-kind but abrupt, and practically symptom-free from the PD that has become part of his life only 4 years ago. Instead I met a man who was very sure of himself despite the obviously fast progression and what I had perceived as abruptness during our yearlong developing friendship online was truly just his manner combined with the PD.

His rigid body and masked facial expression were soon overlooked as I sat, amazed at the amount of work that had gone into this concert; his second in as many years. I could only imagine at the details involved in pulling off this event. Later that evening, when we arrived at the Tradewinds nightclub, Bob was standing at the ticket-takers spot; keeping a watchful eye over everyone and everything. It is this meticulous attention to detail and his knowledge of his craft that brought all these musicians together to play their hearts out for the man whom all knew and respected.

The bands we were privileged to see perform included: Danny White Band, Boccigalupe & The Bad Boys, Joe Bonanno & the Godsons of Soul, Joe D'Urso & Stone Caravan, Highway 9, La Bamba & the Hubcaps and Joe Grushecky & No Spring Chickens. There was also a special appearance by Max Weinberg, E Street Band drummer/Conan O'Brien bandleader, with La Bamba and Grushecky. Bob manages Grushecky, D'Urso and Boccigalupe. On a separate, smaller stage there were acoustic performances by Rob Dye & Rob Mellaci, Mike Wurtele, Bobby Strange, Bruce Tunkel, Mimi Cross and Jason Stanley. It was when Joe Grushecky announced that they had time for one more song so let's bring up some of the jersey boys, that Bruce Springsteen appeared on stage. The crowd came unglued!!

The Boss seemingly would have played all night...but the fact that this was his second appearance speaks volumes to the kind of man that is Bob Benjamin. He laughed and smiled throughout his performance. After hearing a wonderfully provocative "FIRE" followed by the anthem for PD "LIGHT OF DAY" the stage was crowded with musicians from all the bands that had donated their time & talent to the show. Right in the middle of all the bedlam was Bob Benjamin-singing his heart out and being "high-fived" and hugged so much that I worried that he would fall offstage. The show finale was a heart pounding and earth rattling "Twist & Shout" that had everyone screaming "BBBBRRRuuccceeee"!

We were constantly looked after even though we rarely saw Bob during the entire show...another testament to his care and influence-people will do anything for this guy!! This man is a quiet and unassuming man; a man on a mission-the find a cure and through his efforts, he has raised over $70,000 for the PDF (Parkinson's Disease Foundation) and for that we can all be grateful. In my book that makes him a HERO!!! Thanks Bob for a truly remarkable weekend.