Wednesday, April 03, 2013

I Love Chickenblog

Thank you. There were a lot of supportive, kind comments about my emotional wreck. And some sad and cautionary tales, too. If you've never been bumped in traffic, then Good! And please do yourself a favor and be prepared by printing a copy of procedures to follow in the event of a car accident.

Our doctor says I'll need another two weeks to recover from the concussion. Nothing hurts as bad as last week, but the frustration and stress of being concussed... well, it's been debilitating. Sort of. I don't like to assume every setback or pause is from the accident, but the truth is, I make a lot of long pauses, am at a loss for words, mix things up, stumble, and have trouble coping with too much stimulus. Even simple things, things I normally enjoy, feel somewhat daunting, like blogging, or returning phone calls.

Sigh.

Besides your friendly remarks, and concern, for comfort and a boost... I turn to chickens.

Kamen seemed attracted to the clicking and whirring of my camera. I can't normally convince my chicas to sit still for a portrait, but this time, Kamen was transfixed.

Her daddy was a black feathered Polish, with a foppish white crest. Her mother was a downy little dark Silkie. Kamen, named for the inventor and FIRST founder, was one of several mini-chicks that hatched in the middle of FIRST Robotics season. And she really does bear an uncanny resemblance to her namesake.

Kamen-Hen's big claim to fame? Surviving a horrendous bobcat attack. I still find it hard to believe that with the injuries she sustained, she is still scratching, pecking, laying, and posing! She's a remarkable chica.

Geoff helped me with a heap of technical issues for Chickenblog. It was probably the wrong time for me to try and tackle publishing-code stuff, and I got so mired in the mess of unraveling mixed up accounts, that I wanted to quit! Really, really quit. But... well, I love Chickenblog. I love our stories, even the ones that are pointless rambling, sad, or embarrassing. It's... (insert long pause, as I consider that this very post may be one of those embarrassing, rambling, pointless ventures).

Okay: So. Thank you. Your kindness and engagement with me, here, gave me a happy feeling, a connectedness.
And Geoff is wonderful, and patient, and remarkably skilled + diligent.
And I love chickens, who are funny, dear distractions, who cheer me.

5 comments:

Rae said...

If it helps, for a couple weeks after my concussion, I had trouble coming up with words, completing sentences, and remembering normal stuff (without having to really concentrate). Very frustrating, but it goes away. :)

judy in ky said...

When I hit my head in a minor accident, I couldn't even remember my own name when the officer asked me. I think you will be like Kamen, making a wondrous recovery; be patient with yourself.
P.S. I love Chickenblog too!

Natalie, the Chickenblogger said...

This actually does help!
Half of the frustration comes
from wondering if the issues
are real or imagined, and then
feeling even more stress over
that confusion!
"It goes away:" words to live by!
Thank you.

Alison said...

I didn't know you were concuss-ed! Ugh. Well, it's certainly good to know it's not anything major, like a hematoma! I was concussed as a teen, and I seem to have turned out all right. (Well, until all that beer in college...) ;)

Remember, no matter how draggy your mind may be, you're still more clever than a chicken, and look how amazing they are!

nikkipolani said...

I'm pretty impressed that you can manage any blogging at all. Hang in there, dear Natalie. Your mind will clear up in time. Hugs.