Well, it wouldn’t be the same without some musical reference!
I’m not concerned here, with the name of the band.
What is relevant though, is the album title...
...Eponymous
...because this post is about my blog!
It is post number 100, so I ought to mark the occasion, by making it the star of show!
Posts are usually motivated by a then recent, event...and what could be more recent, than what I am typing, right now?
Of course I write this blog, so no need to report the fact that I am doing so!
What I am going to cover here, is the question of why do I write and publish it?
In short, there are 2 significant reasons...
Let’s start with what I hope it provides to readers:
First...
I’m trying to assist the wider brain injury community (both fellow survivors, and those who provide them with formal or informal care).
As I’ve previously mentioned, I spend a lot of time sharing my brain injury survivor’s story. I do this through the medium of presentations and published writing, and this blog falls into the latter category.
So why might these activities help the aforesaid?
My hope is that by sharing a lived experience, I can raise awareness of the challenges that the brain injured might be facing and pass on my thoughts about things that I believe to have provided me with assistance in the building of a new life (Phil v2.0).
Honesty compels some negativity, but I hope that articulating some corresponding positivity, can provide a little encouragement (or even, dare I say it, inspiration) to other members of my community.
Anyway...
Ironic as it might sound; my own negativity might even have a positive effect on readers...
“Oh – so it’s not just me, then”
Most importantly though...
I hope that a telling of my survivor’s story can instill some optimism about individual futures.
At risk of sounding arrogant, I am trying to set an example.
This blog, of course, isn’t going to achieve much here, if it is unread.
I am therefore pleased to have received feedback as its wide readership.
This is obviously assisted by it being shared by its primary readers. I know of a few instances of wide sharing, but the more the merrier, so please feel free to distribute the link to anyone that you think might benefit from you doing so.
All well and good –
BUT
There is also, a big selfish side to all of this...
It isn’t just about what readers might take from the blog. It is also the issue of what do I get out of it?
In short – rather a lot!
· It gives me something to do and contributes towards a full and meaningful life...
· As you might have gathered, I relish the creation and completion of big projects.
Subject to significant editing, re-ordering, and re-writing, I would like, one day to turn my blog into a book – a brain injury survivor’s journey
· I sometimes receive positive feedback from readers, and this contributes to a much-needed sense of self-worth. For example, from an email received a few days ago...
“It’s really interesting to read your blogs. Lots of your latest completely resonated with me too”
The writer of these words is himself a fellow survivor of a brain injury.
Note his words, “resonated with me too”
Perhaps this is also an illustration of what I talked about earlier...
...Good, I’m not the only one
· I guess though, that the biggest thing that it gives to me, is motivation for positive reflection.
For a start, each post is triggered by events, since the last one. This is often followed by the impact thereon of my injury, and I already try to include some positivity thereon – eg a resolution to view issues differently in the future, or to alter my behavior. In this sense, it is truly positive reflection.
So much for short-term reflection – events since the previous post...
Going back and reading older posts is also indicative to me of an overarching positive. Namely the wider progress that has been made since the outset.
Here is a picture from 100 posts ago:
And since then...
And...
And...
And...
