Workshop Feedback
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The symbolic representation of my injury will give you a better understanding of my transition between my old self prior my injury to my new, different self, that has been born.
This is the story of the journey my life with traumatic brain injury. The bronze bridge symbolizes the path I must travel towards recovery. I must keep moving in the forward direction and leave behind all those who are not willing to or able to support me. All of the obstacles and downfalls experienced during recovery are summed up by the dark cloud and the lightening bolt.
My life will eventually lead in a happy direction - one in which, I have reached inner peace. The beam of light symbolizes the opening for this inner peace to be acquired.
Hope is the light. It touches my future new identity, the blue figure. I stand on the peace sign representing the accomplishments I will reach; being a competent, self sufficient, courageous, trustworthy, and compassionate young woman. I will live a life I love in freedom and in peace. My life flourishes with new growth and prosperity, shown by the broad green field encompassing me.
At the far left corner of the field stands a grave stone in which is buried my old self. The lightening bolt is taking my old Self into Heaven which stands for the fact that I must move on with creating my new Self. The lightening bolt crosses through the Yin-Yang symbol, symbolic of the eternal presence of good and evil in life and the constant necessity of achieving balance between the two.
How Alone I feel
sense of self depleted
isolated
auctioning self sufficient independent young woman
I am back where I was before
less judgemental
more caring
having friendship involvement with sports (be active-soccer, v-ball, b-ball, track)
people-being more open minded, allow room for others, (be less head strong), describing people
distinguishing boundaries
graduate, go to college, get great job that benefits others, trust worthy
material state of normalcy-conforming
living up to the expectations of others
(trying to, sometimes)
personal expectations
-recovering as well and as fast as I can
owning self-others owning self
temporary admiration
recovery
patience
perseverence
believing
persistence
faith
hope
healing
encouragement
fulfilling hopes and living dreams
the recovery begins with the first step
GOALS
won
(Recovery)
FSSIYW (B)
determination!
freedom of expression to do what I choose to do within reason to be myself.
Different does not mean better or worse-just means different! (6th grade SST)
internal/external
looks aren't everything
self confident
beautiful
love
faith
courage
identity
words of now
hope
progression
feelings of every day
identity crisis
life
bad situations
poor judgement
taken advantage of recovery
investigating reasons for personal decisions
sense of self
finding real friends
who will always
be there for me
self-esteem
I can believe inself
My Recovery
September 28, 1996
There are many different "words of now" that I can use to describe how I feel on a day to day basis. The strongest of which and the one that reflects the most on what I feel would probably be the word "ALONE."
I feel as though I am going to be haunted by all of the wrong decisions. I've made for the rest of my high school career unless I change schools.
Another word that I would worthy of writing about is Hope. And my hopes for a brighter future and a better tomorrow.
I am also having an identity crisis because my sense of self has been depleted due to the lack or sense of self. I feel very depressed sometimes.
This depression makes me get into some "not-so good" situations. This is also because my judgement leaves something to be desired. A big something.
I feel as though because I feel so strongly of having, making, and giving friendship............
I don't always know whay I act in some of the ways in which I do. But this doesn't mean I'm un-aware.
I am a functioning self-sufficient, independent young woman.
My internal feelings are what matter most to me but I tend to keep them concealed.
One of my hopes for the future, the near future, is to make some "real" friends. I realized now that prior to my injury I used the term "friend" too loosely.
A friend should be someone like Erica Kate who I know will be there for me through rich and poor. Through good and bad, until death do us part.
Although I am quite sure of myself, my self-esteem tends to drop and uplift by the way people around me react to me.
I know that looks aren't everything but looks are all that matter to 13-18 year old guys. They don't go for the whole inner beauty thing so many of them used "crude" words to describe me and my looks and physical features so, this sends my self-esteem in a downwards direction.
I must remember that in life there is always room for progress. On my road to progression, I'm about {picture}
for the future and now I am planning on being more open-minded less to reidentify people. Allow room for others to come into my life.
I also must be able to believe in myself and have faith and the hope in the future.
I am "courageous Clare" but even courageous people need encouragement.
In life there are passengers and there are drivers. In order to get anywhere an be your own self you have to be the driver. this is an important motto of mine. I hate to conform but in high school you have to be manufactured perfect.
In the future, I want to graduate from high school, go to college and get a great job that will benefit others. Unfortunately....
recovery takes a whole lot of patience except my patience meter is running low
I never knew it would take so long I just assumed as with everyone else that as soon as the physician stuff was better that that was it. "All better."