These are the days...

I getting back to my old pace, at least in terms of cramming as much as possible, into my productive day.  Everyday, is of course, is diferent, but starting this week, with 2 productive days, has been amazing.

Last fall, I was nominated to serve on a state mandated committe, commisioned by the governors office, as the voting representative for traumatic brain injury services.  I came into the group well after it had begun meeting, but have learned much about health care policies, collective bargaining practices, even how inclusive the government system can be, if your willing to dig for what you need.  Today we met to vote on passing the recommendations.  For our group, it means we agree to submit the revised recommendations to the governors office.  Everything passed unanimously, and we went off. Into the world, after being hatsily removed from the meeting room, after an hour had passed.  My roommate/live in aid dropped me off for my next appointment, with my psychologist.  I feel like psychological help can be frowned upon, I know I was not all that open minded about it, for a long time.  Turns out, it's all in finding the appropriate personality to talk with.  Soon I'll need to begin the process of finding a new rehab. Psychologist, but now that I've had a good experience with it, I'm happy to continue on, with regular sessions.  I'm slow to talk about all of the strangeness I see in my injury.  Sometimes, like today, it's easy, things flow well, and I can easily remember things I want get some feedback on, like getting on track to how back to school!  All along that's been a huge goal of mine, although my interests have diversified a wee bit, by now.  At least it's still early in the year, and I won't have mak the excruciating decisions, until further down the road.

As soon as I returned to my apartment, I grabbed a lunch of assorted pieces, from the refrigerator, and donned a very fashionable running costume, of spandex, polyester, and down.  I was pretty excited to took my new ice bug sneakers on their first tun.  They have a carbon compound stud formation, like your snow tires.  At first it felt very different, and I didn't know if my muscles would relax into the motion of jogging, but after a mile, they did.  It was some nippy today, but having that hour in the sun, made my day.

After a bit of fresh air, it was time to go to class.  I'm taking a public speaking course at UVM, to challenge my own fears, about the quality of my voice, post injury.  It's enormously more clear, than it was 5 years ago, and I didn't even realize how indistinguishable my words were, for so long.  Talking clearly, and consistently, is still,, an enormous work in progress, but, like with everything, the more I do, the more I can do.  I suppose that means, there's always something to reach for.

The classes I've taken since my injury, have all Ben graduate level, health care policy based courses.  It almost feels as if I'm going backward, taking a speaking class.  But this is definitely, a major group of skills I lost, so I am moving forward, it just requires me to maintain a posive mindset.  Well, it's gotten me this far!

When my formal rehab program ended, I'd nievely thought it was time to turn the page, and move on.  Turns out, there's still so much I need to remaster, and the hardest part is that I'm not aware of what's missing, until I find myself I a new situation, with no idea, what yo do.  Thank goodness  for all of the people who're willing to help, every step, of the way!