Laughter helps promote healing in so many ways. Life’s challenges with brain injury, dysfunction, chronic illnesses and other injuries are all life altering events. Sometimes it’s very difficult to find humor in the midst of these changes but it’s important to have laughter to remain healthy. Sometimes what one perceives as being humorous is not necessarily funny to another. Enjoy the hot and cold of this week’s laughter time!
We recently relocated out-of-state but continue to move items gradually into our new home over a long period of time. I cannot do anything quickly and too many things to do is overwhelming. This can be an impossible task for most with traumatic brain injury.
We moved a fan on an earlier trip. Later, we took another fan from our old home. It was identical to the first fan. I knew it was a fan when we packed it up. For whatever reason when I got it to our new home that same day I thought it was a heater. Somehow in my brain it changed from a fan to a heater. I put it away in the office and planned to put it in the attic until winter.
One week later, I woke up at 5:00 am realizing it was a fan. It looked exactly like the fan I have in my room, so I don’t know why I ever thought it was a heater! I didn’t give the heater another thought. Usually when I have a clear thought or solution that comes to me, it’s in the morning upon awakening. So was it a heater or fan?
Yes, it’s a fan and I had my husband believing it was a heater! He didn’t notice it was a fan nor did he try it out. He was the one sweating. I had a working fan. Oh well…it’s all cool now!
It”s how my brain finally makes the connection. I usually put things together and problem solve accurately, but it’s delayed. I can only believe this is where there is damage, and the thoughts and ideas take a different route around injury…but it gets there nonetheless. It’s a hot or cold issue at times!
I was certain it was a heater, and no one would convince me or question me otherwise. Maybe simply to avoid arguments. Besides, isn’t the female gender always right?…even when they are not?
If my brain makes new connections and it finally problem solves it happens after a good nights sleep and sometimes it’s years or just days. I just never know when it’s going to happen. I guess this was a short lived problem and only sweat worthy for a week!
braininjuryselfrehabilitation 
heidirmoore
June 13, 2012 at 12:43 am
So funny! Sweating right now, I found this one particularly cute! 🙂 I can really relate to being adamant about my wrong conclusions and then having the right answer waft down to my brain as though on a cloud, often in the early morning in bed….or emptying the dishwasher…doing something “mindless” (which, by definition, is pretty much everything for me! Ha!).
brain injury self rehabilitation (BISR)
June 13, 2012 at 6:55 am
It’s good to know I’m not alone. It’s interesting that you also get clear solutions early morning upon arising. Guess sleep is important!
Three Well Beings
June 13, 2012 at 11:59 am
Our brains, delicate for all of us! Without good consistent rest I can be adamant about things too, only to find I wasn’t tracking correctly! I agree about humor. And I suppose it must feel so good when the lightbulb flashes on and there is that “aha” moment for you! oxo Debra
brain injury self rehabilitation (BISR)
June 13, 2012 at 5:59 pm
Debra, Everyone’s brain is fragile and needs good health. Sleep is always important. I never know what problem will be solved or when it will happen. I guess there is always a surprise in store! LOL Some of the hardest and repeated comments came from people biologically related or close to my situation, but did not change. So I did…and chose to no longer have contact. It’s the best thing I did! I wrote during that time and will post these writings in the future so others can see the hurt that happens and have better insight inside the TBI lives.