Aphasia sucks, but it makes me fun every day.

 

My brain works fine. I see something, and I know what I saw, and the story in my brain tells what I want to say, but then the words don’t work.

 

When I try to say what I want, I need to figure out ways to say what I can remember to say the right words.

 

At the NCAA’s last week, Penn State played. I wanted to tell my wife that they won against … I can think of Auburn, but I knew it wasn’t Auburn. Then I explained that it was from New York. Then my brain goes into overtime and comes up with Albany. The brain and language are crazy.

 

I watched the Penn State vs. Ohio State football game a few weeks ago. We lost. Eight and half minutes in the fourth quarter, and we were ahead. Then we sucked. Twenty Eight points in the fourth quarter for Ohio State, and we lost by 13 points.

 

We had a fantastic. My friends are always good to see.

 

I ran into Susan (aka Wiz), one of my friends, who played Lacrosse at Penn State at the same time that I went. I had met him a few years ago at the same tailgate. Her husband, Mike, was there too.

 

Because I have aphasia, I don’t remember what I used to do. Every chance I get to have a discussion. I always start to ask questions.

 

“Where did you go to school?”. Wiz went to Upper Merion. 

 

“Did you remember Bill Proudman?” Wiz said, “Yes, he was a year older at Upper Merion.” I told Nancy that Bill was a fraternity and played Ice Hockey at Penn State in the 70s.

 

The small world starts.

 

I asked if Mike, Wiz’s husband, played golf. Mike said yes. 

 

“Where did he play golf?”

 

“Springford Club Golf, do you know it?”. 

 

I told him that I had never played there but someone I knew who played there. I went through my brain to figure out his name.

 

My aphasia goes into overdrive.

 

My wife, Becky, went to Independence Blue Cross. One of her colleagues had a friend. I could not remember her name.

 

I told Wiz and Mike, “One of my wife’s friends, but I can’t remember her name. Her last name was the same as a linebacker at the Eagles in the 60s.”

 

Mike said, “Bednarak?”

 

Wiz said, “Nancy Bednarak?”

 

“Yes, that’s her. Her husband played golf at the Springfield Golf.”

 

“Mark Hogan. I played a lot of golf with him.”

 

I went to my wife and told him about Nancy and Mark and that they should talk to Wiz and Mike.

 

We told our photo, and Wiz sent a message to Nancy. It has been over twenty years since we saw them.

 

Nancy immediately sent a message to say high.

 

Another small world.