My_Brain_Gets_Itchy's Journal

[spoonman]

Very nice post, thanks again for sharing your experience. I think you’ve just coined a new term: solituding =). I think it’s awesome that you were able to become a tourist in your own city by experiencing it at a different time of day.

My commute consists of a combination of bus and light rail, and takes about 50 minutes each way. Commuting by car takes 30 minutes each way, but I realize significant savings both financially and mentally by riding the metro. The thing that I dislike the most about commuting by metro is that a lot of people that ride it don’t smell very good (this is probably due to the fact that I commute through an economically depressed area). Despite of that, I’d rather commute by metro than by car because the latter is far more stressful and costly.

[My_Brain_Gets_Itchy]

@Svensken: Your ride sounds awesome! It's so surreal for me to imagine commuting by cows every day.

Over the past few years I have definitely become a morning person. I used to be a total night person. What I eventually realized though is that late night made me feel very manic, which I liked because it gave me energy and gave me extroverted powers when I was interested in those type of things/behaviours.

@sshawnn: Thank you @sshawn.

I didn't actually get to see the guys work.

The encounter was quite odd.

I saw a young man with a large paint roller and two big buckets of painting materials emerge from bushes on the side of a street.

I passed by him and he kind of sizes me up.

I then hear him say:

Him: "Yo, bro...bro.."
Me: "Hey, what's up?"
Him: "Do you mind taking a picture of me?"
Me: "Uh yeah sure no problem.."
Him: "Thanks bro."

He fishes out his cell camera.

Him: "Dang bro, I been working all night, I am fkn beat.."

He finds the sun and posses right in front of it. I take his picture. He asks for another, but this time, he turns his back, so the photo doesn't really show his face, in addition to his face being covered by a bandana,

When I give the camera back to him, he thanks me.

I say to him "How will I recognize your work if I see it?"

He winks at me, and then just walks away.

@akratic : Thanks for that info @akratic!

I never read that before, and didn't know that about negative hedonic adaption.

So thank you.

@spoonman : Lol, your transit commute sounds very interesting.

I'm sure there are a lot of 'not your every day' experiences you must have had taking your route! Does it make you more appreciative/grateful for things in general to pass by that every day?

My old place I used to live at bordered an area in Toronto that had the highest concentration of social services in the city (ie for homeless, drug abusers,etc), and I have to say that I just got desensitized and no longer noticed it for what it was.

[BlueNote]

@ My_Brain_Gets_Itchy

You must have lived near Regent Park or more likely Parkdale?

I have had similar experiences commuting to work via bike. It's 5 km to my work from home and I used to take the bus.

On my bike rides, 3 days so far, I have seen tons of nature (a baby rabbit, red wing black birds, some sort of fast moving rodent). In addition it's a good little workout.

[My_Brain_Gets_Itchy]

@BlueNote: Yep, good guess. I lived on the edge of St Lawrence Market area.

[spoonman]

@MBGI: Yes, I am very appreciative of my life and the things I have every time I step off the bus on my way back from work. I walk into our gated community and just marvel at the tremendous luxury and opportunities available to me.

I've seen all sorts of funny and crazy characters on the LA metro.

[Sere]

My_Brain_Gets_Itchy, I've just finished reading all of your journal posts so far, and while we differ in many respects, I relate quite strongly to many of your observations. Thank you for sharing your journey, as well as so many terrific reading suggestions! I have added quite a few to my wishlist now. All the best!

[My_Brain_Gets_Itchy]

@Toska: Lol yeah, being in a city, most of the time we don't even realize it, but out environment does not have a whole lot of nature so when we see it, especially in the city, it's quite odd.

@Sere: Thank you very much for commenting and letting me know you relate. I can't say it enough, how empowering it makes me feel to know this.

[My_Brain_Gets_Itchy]

#035 07/19/2013 This Gratitude thing works..

Last night (Thursday, July 18), I broke my nose.

I was playing beach volleyball in a new league with a new team I just started playing with a few weeks back. Basically, a bunch of people who I barely know.

I was diving for a ball, and so did a player on my own team.

It was a bit of a scramble play, but being that it was the second ball and I was the setter, it was technically my ball.

My nose hit the back of the other players head who also went for it,and I went down. Everyone playing said they heard a cracking sound. It didn't hurt too much, but my nose started bleeding right away and I saw a few stars circling my head.



I said I was fine, and was quite embarassed by all the attention, and I just wanted to shake it off and continue to play and get away from the attention.

They said "uh no, your nose is broken".

I was kinda shocked, and I said "Are you sure? I don't feel too bad".

A team mate took out his phone that had a double sided camera, and my nose kind of looked like this:



From then, everyone bent over backwards to attend to me. Out of no where an ice pack appeared. Then, because the ice pack was not really conforming to my nose, a bag of ice appeared. Everyone on our court stopped playing.

One team mate offered to drive me to the hospital, which was very close by. Another team mate offered to take my bike and lock it up at his place. Others offers advice to say when I get to emergency:

"When you get there, say you are still bleeding. If you do, you will be admitted quicker".

I insisted that they play on but they insisted not. My team mate drove me to the hospital.

When I got to the hospital, I insisted that she has done more than enough and that she should go home. But she stayed. During check in, sure enough the blood excuse worked, and I was attended to quickly. I was in and out probably in less than an hour.

The emergency doctor took a look at my nose, grabbed my nose and said:

"This will hurt for a few seconds but I am going to put your nose back in place."

I was like "what?!! right now?! Don't I get anything, like a sedative a freeze or something?"

He was like "no."

It was all happening so quick, and I had no time to really process and prepare, except to try and brace myself.. I clenched my eyes, my fists,my butt cheeks, preparing for the worst.

Sure enough, it was over in few seconds of momentary pain. His hands did magic, and my nose was back in place. It did break (ie. a nasal fracture they call it) and I have to see an ENT specialist on Monday.

Today, a day after, all i can feel is gratitude.

Gratitude that my team mates that I hardly know looked after me.

Gratitude that every decision that was more or less made for me, was the right one (the ice, going to emergency, telling them I was still bleeding, the doctors magic hands, etc).

Gratitude that my nose looks pretty much completely normal today.

Gratitude that it was not as serious as it could have been.

Gratitude for our healthcare system.

Gratitude that on this Friday, I am at home instead of work.

I am thinking that through this process of FI, retirement, self improvement and continued discovery, life has definitely taught me to be a much more grateful person.

Under the circumstances, I could have felt blame to the persons back head, play the victim card, or just be put off for being out of commission. I could have felt negative or depressed about it. But honestly I feel none of those things. Just gratitude. Happiness.

And that for that, the change in my perceptions, I am most grateful of all.

[spoonman]

Very nice post, a pleasure to read as always.

Quite a day you've had, and it looks like you've come out ahead. To feel grateful is far more valuable than just stacking up money or being ultra-fugral. Gratefulness will get you a long way in retirement.

"what?!! right now?! Don't I get anything, like a sedative..." LOL!

[jennypenny]

Ow. Just...Ow.

You're more trusting than me--I would have been holding the doctor's nose while he held mine

[anomie]

@My_Brain_Gets_Itchy

glad you are treated and healing...

Sounds like the set of strangers you encountered are very decent folk worthy of future attention.

[BlueNote]

@ my_brain_gets_Itchy,

next time you are playing volleyball just wear one of these:



http://www.jumpusa.com/pc/MUELLERNOSE/S ... ports.html

Wearing this will also make you irresistible to women so it's like killing two birds with one stone.

All joking aside, I hope you get better soon and I think your outlook on the situation is great.

[My_Brain_Gets_Itchy]

@spoonman: hear, hear! I suppose its something we always know, but we rarely do/feel. It's quite fleeting as well. I'm trying to get better at it!

@jennypenny: Lol! What a funny image that placed in my head. Inside I was definitely feeling a very similar emotion as you describe.

@bigato: Talk about the ultimate definition of ERE skill: Fixing your own broken nose, lol. In seriousness though, I heard you mention it before, but learning some type of fighting skill is an amazing ERE skill to have.

@anomie: Thanks anomie, and I am glad that you recognized that! Yep, I was definitely impressed by the people who responded to the situation (ie. you see what people are made of in times of stress). I am pig-headedly independent and my natural instinct is to push away and do things myself but really sometimes I shouldn't be. These are a totally different scene/set of people than who I played beach volleyball with in the past, and you are right, it is definitely something worth investing more into.

@Bluenote: LMAO! Funniest thing is that i was looking up that exact same thing! I have my ENT appointment tomorrow, and am going to see if I could get some type of prescription to see if my work benefits will cover it. It's decieving because the nose doesn't really move or bear any real weight, so right now it doesn't really hurt unless I touch it or scrunch my nose. But if i got any kind of incidental contact it would kill with pain!

[Sere]

Ouch! Sorry to read about the break, hope you're not experiencing too much pain now. And incredible job of turning a painful situation into one in which to reflect on your gratitude... I would have found that pretty hard to do!

[pooablo]

We are so lucky to have public healthcare!

I'm living in Toronto now. Let's meet-up sometime, Mr. Itchy Brain!

[brighteye]

Long time reader of the blog and the forums, but your journal made me subscribe, just so I can thank you for your posts.

MBGI: You are a poet and a philosopher!

Thanks for letting us take part in your journey. I'd have more to say but my thoughts are not as clear cut as I'd like them to be, so I leave it at a simple "Thanks"

[My_Brain_Gets_Itchy]

@Sere: Feeling better now thanks! Just two more weeks to let it heal. No beach volleyball until then. The ENT doc wouldn't let me have a nose mask , but I will wear it as my avatar instead

@pooablo: When did you move? Where in the city did you decide moving to? And Congrats! Were you here during the huge flood!?

@brighteye: Thank you very much for your post, just waking up and reading a reply like that, it made my day. In my normal day to day I don't get really any kind of encouragement or support for this path, as I think most on this board probably doesn't either, and although i'm all solitudy and such, still, just to hear those words means a lot to me.

[BlueNote]

I like that I had a hand in that avatar, it gives me a good chuckle every time I see it.

[Sere]

Great avatar!

[My_Brain_Gets_Itchy]

Thanks @Sere, but all credit goes to the man they call @Bluenote!

Cheers to him!