“To progress again, man must remake himself. And he cannot remake himself without suffering. For he is both the marble and the sculptor. In order to uncover his true visage he must shatter his own substance with heavy blows of his hammer”
– Alexis Carrel
Okay, perhaps a bit more dramatic than the comparison with combat and battle than was invoked in Shakespeare’s Henry V.
How about this:
Second verse//Same as the first
I missed out on two weeks of lab time way back at the end of Gen-A, six terms ago, when my wife had Covid. Way back before vaccines were available for it. I had to remain away from the campus to prevent spread and missed out on some critically important lab time because of it.
Fast-forward to now, and I finally have all of my lab time and projects complete and even have time caught up on the Airframe time that I needed to tend do.
So, great news, I’m all caught up.
But sometimes it’s two steps forward and one step back.
We’ve had four people out with a positive Covid tests in our rather small group of 14 — no idea about the 1st year students (about 30) or the other half of the 2nd year (about another 15). The three that were out are, to my understanding, planning on being back tomorrow.
But the administration has shut down our campus for a week.
So, we’ll be back next Thursday. We’ll have the shared frustration of all trying to get bare minimums on time needed to finish this last four weeks of the program.
No, wait… minus a week.
Last three… three weeks of the program.
Yes, it is.
It can manifest in ways considered by many to be inconsequential.
For example, I will often insist that I can do some_task and steadfastly never ask another for help or assistance or guidance or opinion… to the point that it’s becomes self-destructive.
“Yeah…”, people will say, “that’s just the way he is. He’s just really independent that way…”
That extreme independence is the result of the combination of my own narrow-mindedness that I now attribute primarily to a lifetime of shaming and negative criticism that I’d received from a young age. After awhile, I simply accepted that I would either be tormented endlessly, or that I’d simply stop asking for help and set to figuring out a way to achieve whatever some_task I was interested in.
Tack on an unsettling degree of, what I’d find out many years later that we all cope with to some extent, Imposter Syndrome and… well… here we are.
Yes, Extreme Independence is most certainly a trauma response.
Somebody had posted this in a TBI group…
Hi everyone, how’s everyone doing? Quick question: what’s the recovery process like for Diffused Axonal shearing? Is there any coming back from this severe type of brain injury? 4 months in and my brother still doesn’t talk.
–Anonymous
And, because I can’t leave well enough alone, perhaps the world may stumble onto my thoughts and find some benefit from it:
—
Okay, here’s the thing: “DAI” and “Shearing” are the terms that are used medically to describe what’s occurred.
Can anyone come back from it? Well, maybe. It depends on… well… everything.
We’re talking about the one thing in the whole of the known universe that can, so far as we know, interpret the universe. And if one’s brain has been jarred from an impact, if it’s survivable, it may effectively scramble all of the memories and knowledge that person had.
Brain Injuries are as unique as a thumbprint. No two TBIs are the same. With two identical twins in the prime of their health and youth were to sustain identical trauma, they will absolutely have a completely different array of issues. One may feel a bit tired for a few days… and the other may be fatal. They’re that unique.
So, can somebody come back from it? That, like all things, depends.
My TBI was about three years: 4m fall, head first onto concrete, knocked unconscious instantly, coma, DAI, CNS shearing. I was 45 and generally in perfect health. I was in a coma for about two weeks and had to relearn absolutely everything (and I do mean everything) and have been frustrated now and again with proprioception and dexterity challenges.
Today, I’m still relearning and gaining more understanding of the various bumps and ridges of my own particular TBI.
Have I come back? Eh, it depends on one’s interpretation of “coming back”. And upon who one asks. I don’t think I have, yet. But in some ways, I can do more now that I did before. I still walk with a cane every now and again, but don’t like it — yet I can still run a 5K or more (I ran a 1/4 marathon a few months ago). I get mentally exhausted much sooner than some people. But I’m learning how to work around it… and work with it.
It’s been a long journey through a mental and emotional hell — and through it all, it was critically important that I had support and understanding of my wife and family.
Here we are in the midst of something of an unknown for the future of society, and yet I find that I’m pondering, again, buying another bicycle.
My list has evolved a bit from what it was. Previously, I had considered:
I’ve disregarded two of them because one was somewhat impractical for my current locale and lifestyle. I’d end up adding racks and baskets front and rear and likely go as far as to attach a pair of my ammo cans. Yes, it would look cool — but it’s just not going to be meaningful for me presently.
Another wasn’t quite what I’d prefer. Sure, I could swap out the Café bars for flat or drops, but the cost would become somewhat limiting. Off they’d go.
A straightforward and seemingly obvious answer: Salsa Journeyman Apex — to which I’d upgrade to tubeless, add pedals of choice and Bob’s your uncle.
Seemingly.
But I find that I rather like the idea of an eBike.
Why?
Because I’m not going to live forever. And having a bit of extra power for the lengthy uphill climbs seems like it could be quite helpful.
A gravel bike, yes. I mean, I already have a touring-class bike. Quite heavy for casual riding and rather purpose-made for carrying substantial loads long distances.
Right, so I removed two, then added two alternates. Both additions are eBikes. Of course, one holdover from the previous list. So, now it’s changed to:
*Why the holdover? Alternative question: won’t an eBike just make you lazy?
For my needs, a 650B is more agreeable — not “balloon” tires, so to speak, but certainly more comfortable.
…
the rest of me 