The Bra Street Rambler

What is it about a crisis, big or small, that makes us panic and freak out? Why does the unknown cause our hearts to beat faster and the little people in our brains to yell “Abort! Abort!” as they hit the big red self-destruct button? I’ve seen people jumping up and down freaking out about a little stove fire, completely forgetting the need to put it out, let alone the how.  I’ve seen those afraid of the dark forget they own candles and flashlights the moment the lights start to flicker.  I’ve seen a sober person at a party panicking as they try to locate someone to drive an injured individual to the hospital, completely forget that they themselves are qualified to drive.  The solutions are staring them in the face but they are momentarily reduced to the same frozen response a deer suffers when caught in the headlights.  A person can be the most level headed, logical person you’ve ever met, they could even be the most prepared for a situation, but w...

First off, I would like to apologize to my Bros and Bras for the delay of this post. Unfortunately, my hands and wrists were sore due to medical reasons and postponing any typing was a decision I had to make in exchange for some much needed rest. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am one of those people who, regrettably, avoids doctors and other medical professionals with a level of stubbornness that might rival that of a donkey's. It is not because I do not like them as individuals or that I do not stand behind science, merely a holdover from spending way too much time around hospitals as a child due to cancer in the family and partially due to my own experiences being poked, prodded, and tested.  However, there are times when one has to don their big girl attitude, suck it up, and book an appointment anyway.  Thankfully, holdovers or not, I do have some medical professionals in my life that make this decision to suck it up and go, that much easier. I would lik...

Some time ago, I wrote a post titled “ Only Fools Know All ”, which pointed out to readers that there is always an opportunity to learn more about the world around us, more to the point of that particular article, an opportunity to learn more about ones self. This week, I wish to convey the importance of the title used for that post. A title I almost used for this post before scanning through past Rambler musings to see what might be relevant and realizing it had already been used.  So often, we use the phrase “I know you ...” or “...because I know you.” in regards to those we are close to in life as a way of indicating to them that we recognize certain behaviours, lasting opinions, and patterns in their lives. We use it to indicate that we see them for the person they are. I know I'm certainly guilty of this. However, the truth is that we do not. We do not know . We can pay attention and recognize, we can develop a certain level of understanding of the circumstances ...