Life Over Pain
Life Over Pain is a podcast full of inspiring stores from people with chronic pain and/or traumatic brain injury. Their stories are about how they are not defined by their pain or injury. They describe how they make choices to adapt to their present circumstances to create lives of value despite pain and loss. And, BTW, If you'd like to share your story, or know of someone who might have a story to share, please email LifeOverPain1@gmail.com.
Life Over Pain
Life Over Pain - Phil Terry - Joy and Value By Going Slow
•
Patti Freeman Evans
It's hard to imagine living for a few months without being digitally connected, watching TV, listening to the radio, reading a book or just going out. But that is what Phil Terry's doctors said he needed to do to start his recovery. Phil suffered a concussion after he was hit by someone on a bike in NYC. It's called cognitive rest and it's a protocol that is being adopted for kids who get hit playing sports at school. For an adult who's company (Collaborative Gain) teaches people how to ask for help and who is constantly organizing others, coccooning himself was an anathema. He began to embrace his quietude over time as he embraced taking things more slowly not unlike the slow art movement he started long ago (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-the-brain-the-beholder/201411/the-slow-art-movement-its-more-meets-the-eye). For example, Phil has always been a voracious reader, so when he began reading in print again, he did so with an eye to new details in the writers' approach, like metaphor. That attention to detail and creativity he then built into his own work and made him a better writer in the long run. Going slow allowed him heal, and it allowed him to find even more joy in things he loved to do. He shares his top takeaways from his time sequestered at home.A Note On The Life Over Pain Theme Music:Emily Bielagus graciously and generously composed the lovely theme music for the Life Over Pain podcast. Find her music at Spotify, wildyawp.com, and reach her at wildyawpband@gmail.com.