What it's like having a TBI (tramaumatic brain injury)

              BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS MONTH 2014

Imagine that all your life, that would be 49 years for me,  you were a singer.
            You woke up unable to sing the next day.


Lets take one stanza from the poem, IMAGINE written by Lori Conti, and let it help us understand a TBI.   Lets suppose for a minute that you sing for enjoyment, therapy, to make money, to put on shows, to teach. Imagine it's what you are good at~easily.  It is "you".  Your blessing.

Lets say that yesterday you had a show at a local venue and were loved by all.  And this past month you sold some CD's and were invited to be a guest speaker at the college.  Now, imagine that you woke up unable to sing the next day. Stop here and consider the confusion.  The anger.  The frustration.  The fear.

Now, mull over the fact that you will never get back your singing ability...

BUT... you can learn new ways to make music.  Everyone agrees that it's not a big deal, especially the people who are not musical.  People say, "I've never been able to sing." or "There are people all around you that can't sing." And they are right.

Your doctors and therapists encourage you to make new paths onto the musical stage.  They encourage you to try the drums, or piano. You CAN get music back into your life, you just have to do it a different way. You need to develop a new pathway.

Imagine the effort, disappointment and joy of learning that new instrument.  Imagine the years it will take to become able to play in concert again, to get back a semblance of the  "old you" - by embracing the opportunity to become the "new you" in the world of music.