I don’t even remember what Perception: Part Two was going to be.  Why?  Because less than 24 hours after writing Part One, I struck my head on an overhanging concrete stair at work and began a many month, unexpected journey into the world of recovering from a concussion.

It strikes me ironic that my last blog before the accident addressed showing up for Life — or Music — or any given project or responsibility –regardless of how you feel.  The impediments to doing a great job which I addressed in Part One now pale in comparison to the struggles of showing up to teach — and run band rehearsals — while concussed.

I did take about 3 weeks off from teaching.  But I returned to work still suffering many symptoms, because I needed to make money for my family, keep continuity with my students in their musical journeys, and prepare my teen bands for public events that were already on the calendar.  There have been OK days, no great days, and a few really terrifying days where my brain felt horribly fatigued and I got through only by intense deep breathing.

I hope by Fall this will all be a blip on the radar.  But in the meantime, I have been given a chance to *really, really* practice what I preached in Perception: Part One.