My brain is out at sea during a bad thunderstorm that’s unfolding in slow motion. That’s the feeling I have after ceasing brain-altering medication that I was prescribed for nearly four years. I’m being flooded with information/awareness that had been blocked from my conscious mind and there’s a strong mental motion sickness.

For example, it came to be that when I “read” a piece of writing, I could make no connections with previously read writing. Yes, there is a lot of writing out there that dose not require this ability. However, literacy is more than sounding out and understanding the dictionary definitions of words on a page, but I could do little more than just that. This loss occurred gradually. Now that I am regaining literacy, it’s as if I’ve broken a prolonged fast by eating exceedingly rich chocolate cake.

I am now plotting a course toward “normal” brain function. I find that as I read and write more, the mental motion sickness decreases. While I find that reading literature works best, I think variety of subject and type is also beneficial. My plan includes concentrated reading in anthropology in part due to my passionate interest. I also have readily available anthropology reading material.

My writing here will include my responses to various readings in anthropology along with personal musings, cultural observations, the odd interview (hopefully) and other such. I don’t necessarily feel up to this task, but I figure starting on it will be motivation for doing more and will result in doing better.

So, with course partially plotted, I press ahead. I’m Southern… I like alliteration.