“I don’t like what’s going on upstairs”
| A few months ago, my 4 year old son, Thayne Luke, interrupted my husband, Thayne, working in the basement to tell him “I don’t like what’s going on upstairs.”Thayne went upstairs with Luke to see what was going on. Luke had been watching a show, and Thayne asked what was wrong. Luke said, “I can’t hear it.” The volume was fine but Thayne turned it up some more, and Luke again said, “I can’t hear it.”Thayne was baffled and asked what he meant and he repeated, “I can’t hear it.” Thayne was late for a meeting and was in a rush and annoyed, but paused and listened to the tv — paid attention — and realized that the language had been switched to Spanish. He was able to get it switched back so Luke could “hear” again. There are many lessons to be learned from this little exchange. Here are a few: In relation to our nervous system: Our body may be trying to tell us something, and we may not understand until we pause and pay attention and really listen. Communication is so key, as is persistence. We may not have the words to express what is happening exactly but we can do our best to describe it and persist until we get the help we need.On the flip side of that, we can try to seek to understand the meaning behind the words people use, remembering that others don’t always say things in the way we would. Sometimes people can’t communicate well because they’re dealing with a brain injury, or their nervous system is on high alert and they can’t think clearly, or they are still learning the language, or they’re just different than us.The importance of taking time to try to understand others — to pause, pay attention, and really listen. Awareness is key. I hope you take a moment to pause and listen — to yourself, to your loved ones, to your coworkers or classmates. The world will be a better place as we pause and listen. Always in your corner, Bethany Lewis The Concussion Coach |