For many years after incurring my critical TBI, I was unsure how to proceed, as this disability felt unfathomable to me. So many of my basic skills were gone! The multiple losses that have resulted from my accident, which were quite profound (all-encompassing), were devastating. It broke me in totality: Physically, mentally & spiritually.
Backstory: I lived in SF for a year and a 1/2 directly prior to attending the Sanctuary’s mindfulness retreat at which I incurred my critical Traumatic Brain Injury. I participated in a work trade with the mindfulness Sanctuary (getting involved on the ground floor has proven to be personally invaluable, redundantly. 1 such example, results from being a RA in college). I’m all about deals as well as being intimately involved in whatever it is I’m partaking in. Practicing a work-trade serves that purpose well.
The work-trade is the means by which I knew of the need for an attendee drop something off at a differing location for the Sanctuary. The catalyst was a deep desire of mine to gain cell phone service (of which we had none at the Sanctuary ((promoting mindfulness))), in order to talk with my roommates in SF & my parents. I foresaw Big Life Changes, which included relocation. Low & behold, I didn’t have to GO anywhere (simply attempt to…) to find BIG changes. They found me! (Not at all the ones I desired, however).
While living in SF, I waitressed at a fine-dining restaurant in SanFrancisco (in order to live well ((still on an incredibly stringent budget)) in that extremely expensive city). I only had to work 3 nights a week at Delfina to afford necessities & routine slight splurges, admittedly. Writing, as is well known, even with my multiple clients, only funded enjoyment of the opportunities which abound in San Francisco. Waitressing was my main source of income while there = rent, bus pass, membership with the co-working space that I wrote from…
The 1 writing client I retained consistently while in SF, was Dr. Lilian Cheung. Lilian Cheung is the co-author of Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life alongside Thich Nhat Hanh. I managed the book’s web presence. I composed weekly blogs for the book’s associated website. I too opened, offered content for & monitored Savor’s social media accounts daily. I took-on other writing client’s work as well while living in SF. From the beginning of my residence, the cost of living in SF in 2013, compared to other US cities, came in as #3 in the US (the most expensive being NY). Now, SF is even more expensive to live in than NY! Currently, “New York, New York is 30.5% cheaper than San Francisco, California” – Best Places to live While living in SF, I waitressed 3 nights a week and had my days free to write & explore. A couple evenings a week, I’d galavant with friends in the city!
Lucrative waitressing enabled me to pick & choose clients whose subject mattered appealed to me personally = I revered & thoroughly enjoyed. Mindfulness, yoga & related start-up products (yoga mats, for instance). Resultantly, life was fulfilling in many ways. Now, once again, I feel this encouragement & for-site of future possibilities, bubbling back up! Undoubtedly my mentor, Lilian Cheung as well as my parents & certain friends of mine, have enabled this reoccurrence.
I thank them profusely!!