March 20, 2008
Can a brainpan babble?
Most of us have before/after days in our history, days that divide our memories into distinctive realms: before we bought the house, before the baby came, after 9/11. Some of them we share with many people, while others are our own personal markers for events that changed everything about the way we live our lives. I have such a day that is the stuff of nightmares even after the passage of many years. It pales in comparision to the one that brought profound change to my friend Whim’s life. You know those terrible things that you read in the paper, the things that happen to other people? Whim is one of those people. On December 21, 1994 her world was changed forever, not by accident, not by fate, but by the vile act of a despicable excuse for a human being. That was the night of the fire.
Whim’s blog journals her road back to normalcy. It can be hard reading sometimes. She’s brutally honest about the physical, emotional and mental demons she wrestles. Those who live with depression, PTSD and/or anxiety disorders may have to take her in small doses. The experiences she shares may sometimes trigger unpleasant episodes. There’s a payoff for getting past them, though, because you cannot read Whim without putting your own petty struggles into perspective. Whim is not a quitter. She is proof to me that the secret to overcoming adversity is to look it in the eye, know it for the bastard it is, and refuse to give it dominance. Her journey continues and it’s a triumphant one because she makes it so. She made up her mind long ago that she would face down whatever challenges life handed her. She’s uncomfortable being called a hero, but that’s what she is, for the trials that she’s endured and for her unflinching honesty in the telling of her story. She reveals her most vulnerable moments, not in a bid for pity (which she emphatically does not want) but as parts of the story that she’s committed to telling.
I’ve always found the name of Whim’s blog to be a bit ironic. She doesn’t babble, nor does she fit the definition of whimsical as I understand it. She’s a skilled and intelligent wordsmith, an excellent communicator with a wicked sense of humor. She’s writing a book and I’m one of many predicting it will be a bestseller. I’ll take that a step further and predict high interest from Hollywood. I’m thinking Sandra Bullock should portray her, though Julia Roberts is also a likely contender. After you’ve gotten acquainted with her you’ll know that I’m not being facetious or making a joke at her expense with that declaration. She’s the real deal and she’s that compelling.
[tags]Babblings of WhimsicalnBrainpan, blogs, life stories, review[/tags]
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March 20th, 2008 at 5:16 pm, Karen Says:
Wow, I have to check her blog out. She sounds like a wonderful writer. It is sad that she has had such hard time. I wish her luck.
March 21st, 2008 at 9:51 am, Whim Says:
Thank you so much for the wonderful review Skeet. It brought tears to my eyes. (((HUGS)))
March 22nd, 2008 at 2:07 pm, skeet Says:
She’s an amazing writer and a strong woman with a compelling story, Karen. I hope you’ll check her out. You won’t be disappointed!
March 22nd, 2008 at 2:10 pm, skeet Says:
Aw, Whim! I’m glad you like it.I put it off for a long time because I knew it would be a hard one to write. It’s hard to write dispassionately about you, your story and your blog.