Ah, Photoshop. What would we do without you? The answer to that, incidentally, is that we would be forced to learn again to physically manipulate paper and dangerous chemicals to manifest the mad visions tucked away in our minds, all in the name of art and self expression. We would have to physically get our hands dirty with 100 year old tools used by the long forgotten heroes and pioneers of of a dead art form. I miss those days. Picasso is quoted as saying, "Good artists copy, great artists steal." Today, in a world where stringing together sequences of ones and zeros makes you a "good" artist, what is there to steal to become great?
I bring this up as an example of the places your mind can wander when you're medically confined to a bed with too much time on your hands. I've been in this position before. I've been a paraplegic for almost 10 years now, and I've spent a good amount of that time laid up in a bed or on a couch or in a hospital, trying to will my body to heal it's sick self while attempting not to listen to the insane ramblings embedded in my subconscious mind. You would be amazed at the things the human brain can dream up when it doesn't have to focus on the everyday distractions like cleaning your house, paying your bills, feeding your dog/kids/ego/etc. It becomes like a bad knock off of a sensory deprivation tank experience, only you don't know when it's going to start or end, or what outside influences are going to steer your train of thought. For me, it is akin to a lucid dream you can't wake up from or control. You're just along for the ride, and whoever is driving doesn't know any more about the destination than you do.
During this hospital stay, I've begun to learn how to let go of the wheel and let my brain wander freely down this strange road of ridiculousness, making stops at cabin fever and insanity and all sorts of other roadside attractions. I'm starting to take time to look around at what's happening now, instead of what could happen later or what has happened yesterday. And as long as I can keep up with this attitude, I'm pretty sure I will come out of this medical experience stronger and wiser, as opposed to broken and weak, which was the normal outcome before I decided to start Taking my health seriously. Your brain can be your strongest ally, or your worst enemy. It's up to you to decide which direction it will take you.
WOW.
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