In January 2018, while chaperoning my daughter’s school ice-skating trip, a sturdy third-grade boy lost control and came sliding into me from behind on his knees. He was just the right-size projectile to undercut my skates and send me flying backward on the ice, where I landed on my head. Thus began my ignoble descent into becoming a philosopher on brain rest.

When I got up I was not my usual self. Feeling disoriented and unable to remember my own address or the date, I was taken to the emergency room, where I was examined and told I had whiplash and a concussion. I found the medical terminology for my condition, “mild traumatic brain injury,” confusing and humorous. It was confusing because I’m not sure how anything can be both mild and traumatic at once. It was humorous for the same reason.

The elegant doctor who saw me assured me that I would stop weeping for no apparent reason very soon, and that all I had to do to hasten my recovery was commit to “brain rest” — essentially no reading, writing, screens or strenuous thinking until I could sustain focus without a headache or other symptoms of injury. The predicted time for recovery was three months. It was at this point that she nonchalantly asked me what I do for a living. “I’m a philosopher,” I replied. And I’m pretty sure we both thought that was hilarious.

…continue reading ‘A Philosopher on Brain Rest’

image via flickr  Some rights reserved by Benson Kua

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