I've had migraines for many years. Nothing can spoil a day faster than the initial inkling that an aura is beginning. In it's smallest stages, the aura is barely noticeable, I try to deny that it's happening, again, but within a few seconds, I can deny it no longer. My field of vision is diminishing, the jagged edges, the semicircle of triangular teeth gets larger, and larger. The colors are so vivid and vibrant that classifying them merely with the words red, blue, black, and white is an injustice. Quick, take something, anything, to prevent or minimize the headache, find the darkest room possible, and close my eyes. Then the aura is more alive, it flickers, it changes, but the pattern remains, more vibrant on the dark background of my tightly closed eyes. The experience is surreal, and the image of the aura would make beautiful artwork, if the experience was not followed by the pain.
My links won't work but here's the sites if you want to copy/paste:
http://www.migraine-aura.org/content/e24966/index_en.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrrviW0Od-w
Then my math brain kicks in. What is the pattern? Can I draw this image and analyze it? As with many other natural phenomenon, I would imagine this image to be fractal in nature, consisting of layers of repeating semicircles of jagged triangles, regressing into nothingness due to our limited visibility, but infinite in its ultimate regression.
Due to my curiosity, I decided to research the visual aura. The image, under other circumstances, would be a welcome diversion. The video gives an example, if you've never had the aura, but the colors are limited by video, so I can't fix that. A simple Google search on "migraine aura picture" let me to the website MigrainAura.org which contains artwork in several mediums related to migraine headaches and auras. There are some interesting collections here, including several video montages of artwork inspired by migraines. While none of these are exactly what I see, as I assume each individual has a similar but unique aura, several accurately represent the migraine aura, albeit with colors limited by manmade materials.
I hope this post has helped to put a picture to migraine auras. I will now go bury my head beneath a pillow in a dark room and hope for relief!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
What ever happened to personal responsibility?
Okay, it's soapbox Sunday. After watching the Sunday morning news shows this morning, with all the talk about Congressman Weiner, I cannot help but write about personal responsibility. Where did it go?
I know that responsibility for ones own actions is alive and well in my house, as well as my classroom. We have a phrase that we use in my family, and at school also: If you mess up, you fess up. No blaming others, no excuses, no lying, just admit it. When students use the "he did x to me first" tactic, I often ask them if they've ever watched hockey. Does arguing with the referree ever get a player out of a penalty? No, it doesn't, and it doesn't work in my classroom either. I had a discussion with a group of students earlier this week about keeping their hands to themselves, and of course, the first comment was that another student touched them first. I asked this group "has the blaming someone else tactic ever worked for you this year?" Their answer, a resounding no. Do they still do it? Yes, but they are catching on that it is not effective, at least not with me.
So when I'm watching television, and I hear adults in positions of power blaming the molestation of children (and the coverup that followed) on the sexual revolution, the state of the economy on political foes, and bad decisions as a need for "treatment," I'm dumbfounded. It's always someone else's fault, I couldn't help it, I need treatment. We've become a society who does not accept responsibility for our own actions.
I'm curious about this "treatment" that Congressman Weiner is seeking. I didn't realize that we had treatment programs for making stupid decisions. I certainly hope that whatever this treatment is, it is conducted by the drill sergeant from the Geico commercials, because he needs to man up and get out of mamby-pamby land and take responsibility for his own actions of making stupid decisions.
I know that responsibility for ones own actions is alive and well in my house, as well as my classroom. We have a phrase that we use in my family, and at school also: If you mess up, you fess up. No blaming others, no excuses, no lying, just admit it. When students use the "he did x to me first" tactic, I often ask them if they've ever watched hockey. Does arguing with the referree ever get a player out of a penalty? No, it doesn't, and it doesn't work in my classroom either. I had a discussion with a group of students earlier this week about keeping their hands to themselves, and of course, the first comment was that another student touched them first. I asked this group "has the blaming someone else tactic ever worked for you this year?" Their answer, a resounding no. Do they still do it? Yes, but they are catching on that it is not effective, at least not with me.
So when I'm watching television, and I hear adults in positions of power blaming the molestation of children (and the coverup that followed) on the sexual revolution, the state of the economy on political foes, and bad decisions as a need for "treatment," I'm dumbfounded. It's always someone else's fault, I couldn't help it, I need treatment. We've become a society who does not accept responsibility for our own actions.
I'm curious about this "treatment" that Congressman Weiner is seeking. I didn't realize that we had treatment programs for making stupid decisions. I certainly hope that whatever this treatment is, it is conducted by the drill sergeant from the Geico commercials, because he needs to man up and get out of mamby-pamby land and take responsibility for his own actions of making stupid decisions.
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