BY: MARK KONING
Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind. ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne
Being a brain injury survivor sometimes feels as though I have both lost and gained time. My injury occurred when I was six-years-old, and it is as if those first six years of my life have been erased. (It is hard to say for certain, because, well, I was six.)
I have some ideas of what things were like in my early years, mostly because my Oma (Grandma) shot many home movies and my mom took tons of pictures, plus all the stories I’ve heard along the way. It’s hard to tell what is my own memory, and what has been planted there by someone else.
It wasn’t until many, many years later, that I was diagnosed with an acquired brain injury. (You can learn more about that in my memoir ‘Challenging Barriers & Walking the Path’)
Growing up without the knowledge that I had an ABI, but at the same time sensing something was wrong, I often wonder if I spent too much time questioning things or if I was spared certain other anxieties. Ignorance is bliss, right?
Regardless of my past, I can say this about my present: while I might seem to have enough time to get things done, I do not. I do pretty well, but there are things on my list that don’t get checked off. No matter how much I have trained my brain, and knowing my need to slow down, it can still be frustrating to not get stuff done!
My accommodation for work, and life in general, is needing extra time.
In some ways, taking things slow and affording yourself more time is good, but I still only have 24 hours in a day like everyone else. You see? Frustrating!! I do what I do with the time I have, just like we all do.
I feel pretty lucky, regardless of time; and I still cherish it all. As much as I may need things to slow down, taking things at a calm pace allows me to appreciate those little things I think sometimes tend to get forgotten or taken for granted.
For those of us who have come to appreciate a cautious approach to life offer a unique ability for the serene. ~ Mark Koning #challengingbarriers
Mark’s passion to lend a helping hand, offer advice and give back has developed into a moral and social responsibility with the goal of sharing, inspiring and growing – for others as well as himself. His experience as a survivor, caregiver, mentor and writer has led to his credibility as an ABI Advocate and author of his life’s story, Challenging Barriers & Walking the Path. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Koning or go to www.markkoning.com
PHOTO: MARK KONING
Filed under: Mindfulness, Survivor Stories Tagged: Mark Koning, mindfulness, slowing down 
