Quake Brain!
It’s the term my lovely lady uses to describe those frequently recurring “blonde moments” that have become so common among cantabrians since the 7.1 and even more so since the 6.3. She’s a very together lady and in many ways she typifies the ideal modern woman; strong willed, intelligent and caring and she can multi-task on a level that is beyond the comprehension of most mere males. In short, she is a very capable and competent woman with her head screwed on. And yet she has confided to me that she has experienced these instances that she can only describe as “Quake Brain” moments. I know only too well what she’s referring to, I’ve had a few of them myself.
I’ve been down to the shops for bread, milk and ciggys and come back with a newspaper and a chocolate bar.
The other day, she noticed an old lady in a distressed state. It turns out, the lady had forgotten where she had parked. Barrington Mall carpark is not the biggest carparking area in Christchurch, but it’s big enough when the only description you have of the car you’re looking for is “…it’s silver.” Given that there are 3 distinct parking areas at Barrington they did well to find her car in under half an hour. It would have been something funny to muse about at a later date if she didn’t find herself in the same position at the weekend. She was helping a friend with a fridge and microwave purchase to replace those the 6.3 had decided to destroy. The purchase was made, delivery of the fridge was arranged, all the necessary papers were signed. They decided it was coffee time so the friend set off in search of coffee while she went to put the microwave in the car…
Northwood carpark is bigger than Barrington carpark!
Logic set in and she waited outside the entrance to Harvey Normans for her friend to discover her, but the fact remained that try as she might she was unable to recall where they had parked the car.
In the past I might have set myself a list of things to do, but lately I’m finding it more and more, necessary to actually have that list on paper, I still have not completed the small list of chores I had to complete at our rental property on the day of the 6.3. Sure, I have a valid excuse for not getting everything done that day, but it’s been 3 weeks now and as well as that small list of maintenance chores there is the car registration and my own overgrown back yard that need to be tended to. It’s no coincidence that this blog has had more posts and comments in the last week than the previous 3 years. People ask me how I’m coping and I’m being truthful when I tell them that I’m ok, but I can’t deny that I have been affected. It’s easier for me to sit here and ramble through the myriad of abstract thoughts that are pervading the bounds of my conscious mind than to face reality. And yet, reality itself is not that scary. It’s just tiring. It’s persistant and continual and it wears you down and it’s always there. You can’t escape it. You can’t escape it, but you can have a break from it. This is my break from it, I go online and vent. Sometimes I’ll play poker with complete strangers, other times it’s chess or backgammon. Sometimes I’ll just exchange witticisms with others who are also in the mood for that kind of release, because that’s what it is…
It’s a release!
…and if we don’t allow ourselves that release then we risk Quake Brain!
Quake Brain (by my definition) is an early onset symptom of stress build up. It’s a sign that we have human virtues; strengths and weaknesses, qualities and faults. Whilst we might be able to deal with a stressful situation or circumstance, there comes a time when our mind and body need to rest and rejuvenate. Quake Brain is our minds way of telling us to slow down (or even step back) that we might refresh our minds and/or bodies in order to gain a renewed vigour and vitality with which to approach lifes many challenges. Quake Brain should not be ignored.
Like – who is the author of this – good stuff
…your brother!
Glad you like it sis