Who am I?

Who am I?
I walk with an irregular gait.
My voice is soft and muffling.
My words are hard biting.
And I shake. So there, DEAL WITH IT. I sure have.

Who am I?
I am my divine. I am my best friend.
To gain a better understanding of my trials and tribulations,
I must be experienced.
So experience me. Thank you.

WHY am I here?
To help you think about yourselves.
To help you think about your lives.
To help you think about your actions.

Born Stuart Joseph Flacks on February 23, 1965 in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
Stuart died in a drunk-driving car crash at the age of 16 on October 31, 1981.

Nearly three months later, I (Stu – remember, Stuart died that night) slowly gained conscience from a coma. I spent almost a year in the hospital and then out-patient therapy learning to eat, drink, walk, talk – I had been reduced to the functions of a new born. In addition, all memory of any life events prior to the crash was lost. For example, I knew my family, but to this day have no recollection of growing up or being a child, a student, an athlete, or a friend.

I suffered a traumatic brain injury: damaging the left hemisphere of my brain, the brain stem, and the cerebellum. The lungs collapsed; right femur broken; right tibia shattered; ankle damage required tendon slicing; soft palate collapsed; Having reconstructive surgeries performed on right femur, right ankle and soft palate.

My rehabilitation has taken numerous years in various forms of physical, occupational, and speech therapies. Despite the years of successful rehabilitation there remains a tremendous angst: the emotional energy involved in being trapped in the limitations of my physical self. Inside is a mind and spirit willing and ready to do anything – but my body won’t always allow it.

Denial & Isolation, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. After passing through all the stages and I finally came to acceptance and embraced myself. I, being Stu, was on the road to being free.

NOW LET’S GET REAL.

ARE you living YOUR truth?
ARE you being responsible to YOU?
ARE you being led by society’s mindsets?
ARE you aware of the effects of peer pressure on YOU?