I’ve been potting for about a year now and boy, have I learned a lot. I think any new venture comes with a learning curve. Pottery is no exception. The question is: Do I have what it takes to get around the curve? Can I hang in there long enough to get to the place … Continue reading Lessons from the Clay
A Mother’s Words
One of the values of being a writer is that the words can live beyond your lifetime. This is both a scary thought to me and a comforting one. Hopefully, the words I write leave the world a better place because someday they will be all that is left of me. My only mark on … Continue reading A Mother’s Words
I am a Speaker
I never knew I was a writer. Until a newspaper editor put “Michelle Gunnin is a writer.” in my byline for an article I wrote, I had no idea. I put ideas on paper, but in my mind, that didn’t make me a real writer (whatever a real writer looks like). It was just thoughts. … Continue reading I am a Speaker
The Greens have Arrived
In the fall, my kitchen turns into a place of worship because the fall leaves make my windows into stained glass. In the spring, the leaves are equally spectacular, only they tint everything green with new life. Their luminosity lights them from the inside, creating a green curtain around my house. It is like an … Continue reading The Greens have Arrived
Even the Bones…
I went to Boneyard Beach this week. It is a long stretch of sand, covered with downed trees which appear to have toppled when the water eroded the sandy soil beneath them. Each one is its own work of art, like giant pieces of driftwood. The sun has bleached them to almost white. The root … Continue reading Even the Bones…
Pebble in My Shoe
There is a pebble in my shoe. With each step I wound myself. The pain travels into the sole and causes me to walk with a limp. Step. Hobble. Step. Hobble. It is beyond annoying. The bruises make me dread each footfall. Some steps are painless, as the stone moves to the side, but that … Continue reading Pebble in My Shoe
Conclusion
This is the conclusion of my TBI series for Brain Injury Awareness Month. Thanks for reading! People do not know what life is like for TBI survivors and their loved ones. Our goal in sharing our story is to bring awareness. Empathy for others requires trying to see things from a different point of view … Continue reading Conclusion
Bill Chapter 12
Agitation- A state of anxiety or nervous excitement. Irritability- The state of being moody, grumpy or touchy. Egocentrism- Thinking only of oneself without regard to the feelings of others. I am a gregarious guy. I can talk to anyone, strangers, friends, whoever. I have no problem in a crowd of people joining in the group. … Continue reading Bill Chapter 12
Bill Chapter 11
Logorrhea - excessive talking or wordiness. This is a very common frontal lobe deficit that affects many traumatic brain injury survivors. I have always been a talked, even before my accident. But since then I seem to have trouble with knowing when I am talking too much. I try to be aware of talking too much. I … Continue reading Bill Chapter 11
Bill Chapter 10
Panic- sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly unthinking behavior. Anxiety-a nervous disorder characterized by a state of excessive uneasiness and apprehension, typically with compulsive behavior or panic attacks. Frustration-the feeling of being upset or annoyed, especially because of inability to change or achieve something. I used to go to the doctor for my … Continue reading Bill Chapter 10