Someone told me today that I should write because I have a unique experience and perspective. Huh?

Frankly, I don’t feel unique.

Yes, we all have different life stories, different ways of looking at things, different things we like to do, different … well, just differences. We’re all unique.

I’m no more unique than the next person, nor is that person any more unique than me.

If I write it’s simply because I feel like writing — at least writing gives me someone to talk to — even if it’s just this computer screen.

And, if I’m going to write, then maybe I should have something to write about.

So … as I sit here pondering what she thinks makes me, or my perspective, “unique” … I have to figure out what’s “uniquely” and authentically me.

Hmmmm……

I’m short. Billions of people are short.

I’m a woman. Trillions of people are women.

I live in the U.S. (currently) as do many many other people.

I’m originally from Minnesota. That’s not unique except it means I’m accustomed to cold weather, giant mosquitos, and understand what “Minnesota Nice” means.

I’m a military wife. Most of my friends are military wives and many many more who aren’t my friends are military wives.

I was born with a chiari malformation. That’s a bit more unique as it’s a supposedly rare congenital malformation that makes the body go wonky and creates a whole host of issues — especially for people who experience head trauma.

I have a history of head trauma. Still not all that unique — even though it came from a combination of sports injuries, car accidents, and an abusive ex-husband. Whooped-di-doo.

I had two brain surgeries (posterior fossa decompressions) to try to fix the chiari malformation and some of the head trauma repercussions. That’s a bit more rare, but loads of people have brain surgery. Don’t they?

I have chronic, complex, and rare medical conditions that have left me “disabled” — which has been a bit “limiting” on life. Yes, that does give me a somewhat more “unique” perspective than the general population, but lots of people could say the same thing — many of us just don’t say anything because we’re often discouraged to do so. (Case in point, when I was on Facebook and would post about my chronic intractable migraine and the things I was thankful for in the midst of the pain, and a “friend” of mine told me that I needed to quit writing about my migraine because I was just bringing everyone down — she must have missed the part about the things I was thankful for in spite of suffering and somewhat because of what I was suffering. She’s one of the reasons I’m no longer on Facebook.)

I have fur-babies who I adore. So I suppose that makes me part of the fur-baby parent community 😉 Not really all that unique — even though my fur-babies are the best!

I took up the adventure of learning to cook and bake when my life contracted to become not much bigger than the walls of my home. (My husband was deployed for the zillionth time, my doctors told me to give up driving — something about hemiplegic migraines springing up on me and P.O.T.S. causing me to pass-out fairly frequently was/is considered dangerous, grad school was given up as my body couldn’t cope with the demands of studying, and then the betrayal of someone I considered to be a dear friend sent me reeling socially causing me to pull out of all of my social commitments and give up social media; THUS I needed an adventure to go on. Being a reluctant couch potato isn’t my jam. I prefer activity and adventure. With a body that can’t keep up with life, I have to adjust life to suit my body. Silly body!)

I prefer to deal with life with a good sense of humor and the practice of being thankful; often being able to find the “silver lining” in a cloud — my cloud or yours. Supposedly that’s worthy of sharing. Maybe?

Or … maybe it’s the combination of all of it that makes me “uniquely me.”

Thing is … we all have our very own “uniquely me” we can share. That’s the beauty of getting to know peoples’ stories.

Anywho … yes, that’s one of my made-up words … you’re unique, I’m unique, we’re all unique. Be uniquely you, I’ll be uniquely me, and maybe we can share our stories, make each other laugh, and find all of the silver linings together.

And …  since I’m “uniquely me” I’ll write a bit at a time about the things I do on this reluctant couch potato’s many adventures — culinarily and otherwise (for I have an active imagination, love to keep learning new things, and have dreams of Ireland).

Till next time,

Me