First Blog

By Glen Phillips

On this cold Sunday morning, as I sat in my home office out in Pungo, Va. contemplating what subject I would write about for this first entry in my blog, I found myself at a loss, which is probably a shock to those who know me, for I am not known as one for a loss of words on any subject. Especially on subjects dealing with, or relating to, people. I absolutely find other people to be fascinating. We are truly remarkable beings and each of us has a story to tell, and the opportunity to add a chapter to our story each and every day we awake from slumber. We are the authors of our stories, with many other contributing authors in the form of those we know and love, and even those, we don’t. So, each day we can choose what kind of story we want our lives to tell.

This morning, when I could not decide on the subject matter for this Blog; I remembered that it is “Soulful Sunday” on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), and I absolutely love Sundays for this very reason. So, I walked away from the computer and began watching her show, and Lo, and behold, I had my subject right in front of me. This was an episode where Oprah interviews Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, the author of “My Stroke of Insight”, and I knew immediately, I had to let others know about this remarkable lady and her recovery from a severe left hemisphere stroke.

As soon as I saw her on Television I remembered having read her book several years ago, and having spent several months in my book discussion group dissecting this book, page, by page with my fellow group members. This is a must read not only for people who have suffered a stroke, or are caring for someone who has, but for all of us, for there is a common thread we all share. Each of us has a brain, and all of us are susceptible to a sudden illness.

What I found remarkable about Dr. Jill’s story was that not only as a Neuroanatomist does she give us an excellent description of how the brain works, but she does so in a beautifully orchestrated manner that any layperson can understand. She not only leads us down the path to understand our own brains and how they function, but she also leads us on a spiritual journey to understand that we are not our “thoughts”, and that the chatter we hear internally, is not our essence. Due to her specialized training in neuroanatomy, she is able to articulate how that, with the proper kind of understanding of our inner processes, we can learn to alter our inner dialogue if we so desire. That it is as easy as tying ones shoe if we simply put our mind to work for us. Dr. Jill did not know this until she had her stroke, and it was through her recovery, as she struggled to relearn everything, that she truly learned how to live. After her stroke she did not know who she was, could not speak, she could not read, she remembered no one, not even her mother, GiGi, who came to help her in her recovery.  I think the greatest thing she teaches us in this remarkable book, is that people who have suffered strokes, or brain injuries, need love, understanding and patience, and positive energy from their caretakers. And throughout her book she takes us step, by step, on her recovery, and what she learned about how to take care of someone who has suffered a similar type of Trauma.  On page 120 of her book she writes, “I needed people to come close and not be afraid of me. I desperately needed their kindness. I needed to be touched-stroke my arm, hold my hand. Or gently wipe my face if I’m drooling....I needed my visitors to bring me their positive energy.”

This book is a must read for anyone who has a loved one who has suffered a stroke, and for anyone who would like to learn more about themselves in order to live a fuller, more joyful life, for more often than not, we don’t seem to find the time to take care of ourselves, and yet in the end, we are the only ones who can.

The name of the book is...My Stroke of Insight, A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey.

ISBN 978-0-670-02074-4

This is my first entry on my new blog. I hope it will help someone who may have needed this information, and I hope it may compel others to read the book and learn something new, or review material they already know. I will be updating my Blog each Sunday, and will cover subjects relating to Healthcare, and the Care of our Elders, which will of course encompass my holistic view of how we can write a new positive chapter in the book of our lives each and every day.

Please feel free to make any comments or suggestions as you feel the need to do so, but please refrain from any use of pejorative, obscene, or any language that may offend someone. This is an opportunity for all of us to share our stories, and learn from one another.

Special thanks to my Brother Chuck for making this forum possible for me. He not only built my website, but has added this blog to allow each of you to get to know me better, and the services I offer. This blog would not be complete without a special thanks to everyone in my book discussion group; for it was within this group that I truly found kindred spirits who share my love for knowledge. It is where I found food for the soul, and for the mind. A special thanks to my teacher, and mentor, Eleanora Woloy.