Luggage for the Brain
I was collecting links for our ezine, something Don and I do in the evenings instead of watching TV, when I came across quotes from famous inventors. We often find quotes by famous people because we often wonder about the people who “made it so”. That leads to researching the people responsible for innovative thinking. Perhaps not surprisingly, I find quotes by Thomas Edison sprinkled all over the web. He was an original thinker, indefatiquable inventor and a firm believer in the power of persistence and hard work.
The surprising quote I found was “The chief function of the body is to carry the brain around.”
-Thomas Edison
It’s surprising because quite a long time ago (shortly after birth) I found my body didn’t work very well. My first memory is that of hiding in a closet with a blanket over my head to mask the sounds of other children playing. I had a smashing sinus headache. In the next 47 years I’ve discovered I’m allergic to most anything there’s a skin test for as well as many foods. Very early I discoverd that people get tired of hearing someone complain of ailments that have no cure, and the word ‘allergy’ is so overused as to be annoying. In my childhood it was believed that if children ate their bread and drank their milk everything would work out, except to me both are poisonous. One of my favorite questions is, “How’s that working out for you?”
I had to come to come to some conclusion that would allow me to separate my body from my brain. If your mood depends upon how you feel at this very moment, or more importantly how you treat others, you’re going to be a lonely person. My personal mantra for a long time has been “The body is just luggage for the brain. If my body wants more than what I’m willing to give it, it can just go out there and help itself.” I was told I’d be better off living in a hospital. Right, me the Bubble Girl. Hand me my shovel.
Over time, managing my food sensitivities, I’ve managed to get healthy. Being able to cook and having an enthusiastic and talented cook (chef is more like it) for a husband has made my life not only bearable, but a joy. It’s been a long road.
