In these uncertain times comfort is needed for survival. It feels good to read books, watch TV and movies and online content that make you feel good. Comfortable. Consoled. This is perhaps why I have been watching a lot of home, cooking and game show TV. It’s hard to be stressed out when watching content like this.
Thankfully one of my favorite HGTV shows reconfigured itself into something even more feel good. An HGTV show I liked was “Boise Boys” and the boys (builder Clint Robertson and designer Luke Caldwell) are back with a new show called “Outgrown” (HGTV, Saturdays 8/7 central). And thankfully it’s even more feel good than the last show!
In this week’s blog, I give a recommendation of this new feel good show and introduce a new blog feature focused on helping me generate content for my brain injury memoir.
The first TV show that Luke Caldwell and Clint Robertson had on HGTV was simply called “Boise Boys” and featured them buying homes in Boise, Idaho and renovating them extensively to sell for a profit. The appeal of the show was the fun loving friendship between designer Luke Caldwell and builder Clint Robertson. As I have said before, my Mom and I watch a lot of these design shows but my Dad doesn’t have the same appetite for them that we do so he doesn’t watch every one with us (I live with my parents again after an accident gave me a severe Traumatic Brain Injury and made me less independent). However, my Dad always made sure to watch “Boise Boys” and now their new show “Outgrown.” Why? They make him laugh and they are clearly talented and you can’t help but feel good after watching them.
The premise of “Outgrown” is that Luke and Clint remodel a home of a family that has “outgrown” their home because their family expanded. This is a perfect fit for Luke and Clint because they both have large families so they intimately understand this problem. Clint has three boys (all in college) and Luke has seven kids. The feel good element of this show is that this isn’t another home improvement show where the TV personalities are just making money by flipping houses and designing generic homes for the lowest common denominator. Instead, this new show “Outgrown” is all about designing custom homes that work well for growing families. Their first show “Boise Boys” was more in the flipping for a profit category (although it still had a lot more heart than a lot of those house flipping shows). Now with “Outgrown” the charm of the show matches the charm of the hosts.
I highly recommend checking out this show (Outgrown, on HGTV, Saturdays 8/7 central), especially because the network has dumped the show on Saturday nights where viewership is usually less. So, I plead with you to check out “Outgrown” so that HGTV keeps it on the air.
New Blog Feature: #TBIthursday Mini Essay: Experiencing FOMO
In an effort to make further headway on my brain injury memoir I have decided to write a short mini essay specifically about my brain injury for each blog post.
Mini Essay: “Experiencing FOMO.”
The acronym FOMO (fear of missing out) certainly applies to living with a brain injury (especially the hearing loss component of my TBI). I realized that I miss a lot in conversations because of my TBI-related hearing loss. And when I realize later on how much I truly missed because of my hearing loss, I certainly experience FOMO.
Throughout my life, I usually haven’t worried too much about fitting in or missing out. I have always had strong instincts and intuition about what I should be doing and that didn’t usually align with what was popular and that never bothered me. Now after my coma and severe Traumatic Brain Injury I am even more driven to follow what feels right for me. So when I first heard the term “Fear of Missing Out/ FOMO” I didn’t necessarily think it was a term that related to my life. However, now that brain injury and hearing loss dictate my abilities and actions (and oftentimes limit them), I have experienced FOMO. In my case the FOMO kicks in when people are talking about what they heard or what someone said and I have to admit to them and myself that I miss large chunks of activity and conversation because my TBI has caused severe aural distortions and hearing loss.
After the accident and three-week coma, I was deaf for three months. During that time I instinctively started to read lips. I got pretty good at it. However, reading lips is difficult to rely on in daily life. It’s possible (and many do it) but the average conversation doesn’t happen straight on (with the other speakers facing you). Therefore I miss out on a lot. I can’t say I “Fear” missing out because of my brain injury and hearing loss, but it’s now something I am very aware of as I move through the rest of my days with a Traumatic Brain Injury and hearing loss.
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