I recently watched a documentary about a lady from London who had a brain hemorrhage and lost the ability to read and write properly, some of her vision, and the simple cognitive functions of her brain. Lotje Sodderland was 34 years old when she had a stroke and had to start the learning process over. Before the stroke she was in the film industry, so during her recovery process, Lotje recorded herself. After a year of treatments, staying in a neurological institution, crying, recognizing her improvement and regression, having a random seizure and adapting to her new lifestyle, Lotje couldn’t be more thankful.
The documentary was intriguing for sure. Our brains are weird — just weird. Lotje could write because her motor skills weren’t damaged, but she couldn’t read because the part of the brain involving visual connections was blocked. Reading is essential to life, especially Lotje’s. Her friend Sofie made the comment that Lotje loved to read and now she struggled to read a children’s book.
Another thing that perplexed me was the fact that she was allowed to go out alone. Lotje remembered where she lived, but once she got home she didn’t know what key to use. However, she did know to try each key and turn them a different way until one fit. Her problem solving skills were also fine. One thing she struggled with was saying the right words. Lotje had a difficult time saying what parts of the body she was pointing to and often had to ask for help. Even she said she felt like a child starting over, which means she knows she used to know these things. Like I said, our brains are weird.
So, I give you this backstory because 1) it’s really cool and I think everyone should watch this documentary, and 2) it leads into what I am actually trying to say.
One of the last things Lotje says in the documentary is, “I don’t need to return to my old life. This is a new existence, a new dynamic where I’m not defined by my limitations but rather about endless possibility.” After earlier mentioning that she didn’t know if she would ever return to her old self and seeming upset about that thought, Lotje later makes this statement. I think it applies to all of us.
We change throughout our lives. Think about how many times we have changed our minds about what we want to be when we grow up, and that’s because the possibilities are endless. The stages of our lives each begin a new existence, each where we are not defined by our limitations. Once one stage of life is over, it’s okay. We’re supposed to move on from the past, and at any time we can start over. For example, many college students change their major several times. At any point during our college career we can start over and learn something new because the possibilities are endless.
Our brains are crazy and complicated, but so is life. The world is full of questions and undiscovered secrets. Sometimes we have to start over, whether that be re-learning to read or changing our major or beginning a new relationship or creating a new type of technology. It’s okay to move on and it’s okay to start over. Thankfully, we have the option to start over and/or learn something new. If it weren’t for the pool of endless possibilities in this world, then we wouldn’t be blessed with the great gift of starting over.
