I sit on my patio and listen to the wind rustling through the trees. The sun is bright; the skies are blue. I can hear various birds in the trees. And if I activated my Cornell Bird app, it could probably recognize most of them.

Even though I am pretty disabled (traumatic brain injury) and my Social Security income puts me well below the poverty line, i am also very privileged. I am privileged to live in a good town in a good state in a good country. I would never have survived my injuries if considerable resources had not been put into my care. I was not expected to live, but I did. My TBI probably falls under the category of diffuse axonal injury, meaning that pretty much the whole brain was damaged. I was young and my brain healed remarkably well considering; but i no longer have the emotional endurance to work any kind of a real job, and most of my energies go toward just taking care of myself, now that Sandi is gone. I know that I am one of the very, very lucky ones.

Now, in my 50s, i get to spend some time writing again. I was always sort of a reluctant writer; it was not my first choice of occupations. My memory is not so good, but my creativity and brash spirit live on. My discipline also kind of sucks, but this blog gives me something to do every day.

I am really thankful for what i have and what i can still do. Maybe I was not grateful as a kid and that was part of the problem. Maybe i was not a very good person (originally), but i’m trying to be one now (post-TBI).

I was never great with people, and I’m probably worse now. All we can do every day is to go along as best we can, any of us.