Post a COMMENT to this blog entry and share your experience of a time when you had to use both sides of your brain to solve a problem.
Example: (thank you, Hugo Gomez) "I was attempting to do a tune-up on my wife's car when I ran into a problem: a bad spark plug was stuck in the cylinder head and the opening was too small and deep for my fingers to reach in and grab it. Part of the wire was welded onto the top of the plug not allowing the wrench to take hold of the plug.(L)
I started thinking about other situations where there may have been items stuck inside something. Everything from TV shows where engagement rings went down the sink to images of Baby Jessica. (R)
I know I will need some sort of tool to remove the piece of metal blocking the spark plug. (L)
IDEA! I will use chopsticks to reach down and pull out the piece of metal thereby freeing the spark plug! (L/R)
I start convincing myself that this idea will work because chopsticks are much more slender than my fingers and I should be able to pluck that piece of metal. (L)
It didn't work. I couldn't generate enough leverage to pull out the piece of metal. The chopsticks kept slipping. I couldn't get a good grip. So I got another idea. I needed a chopstick with a hook on one end. This would give me the leverage necessary to pull out the piece of metal. (L/R)
Well, I know chopsticks have straight ends so I get a visual image of what's needed. I immediately know I have to use one of my wife's crochet hooks. It worked! (L/R)"
I recently lost my cell phone. I immediately began to panic. Once I got past the panic mode, I went to my computer and opened the locate my iPhone app. (Left Brain) Once I saw the green dot that identified the location of my phone, I still didn’t know what to do.
ReplyDeleteSo, I stopped and did what any other adult would do…I called my Mommy and Grandma. (Left Brain) While talking with them, my Grandma decided it was time to stop and pray, so we did. (Left Brain)
The map on the screen did not provide the exact location of my phone, just a few street names and a general area. I was faced with a new dilemma, how was I going to track my phone once I left the internet service at my house? (Left Brain) It is the 21st century after all and we all fall apart without the google map app on our phones. I mean what did we all do in the 90s?? Oh yeah, map quest.
I took out a sheet of paper and made a rough sketch of the map on the screen. (Right Brain) My husband and I hopped in the car and followed my sketch. (Right brain) Imagine that. As we creeped at a snail’s pace frustrating the drivers behind us, my husband looked out the window and spotted a part of the phone case. He hopped out of the car, gathered what remained of the case and located the phone a few feet away. Hooray! Wait! The back of my iPhone was cracked!! NO!! In the end, my husband said, “get a new phone case and cover the back, at least the front is in great condition. You’ll never notice it was broken.” (Right brain) Hmm…there’s a thought…at least my phone and I were reunited.
Love this, amazing you found it out on the street. Perfect balancing right and left.
DeleteSounds like a great husband.
Yes!!
DeleteA situation that I needed to use my whole brain is when I was at Kuwait during the Gulf war. Our extended family came to stay with us to seek security and refuge. We started hearing bombs, the bombs' thunders were so loud, and the situation was so scary, more people are coming to our house to hide. We have to keep calm to help others. If I panic I will add to my father's stress, he wants to protect the whole family. I slayed calm assuring myself everything will be Ok. I started to pray, and surely calmness started to enter my heart. Brought the emergency kit and the bag of all important documents: passports, birth certificates, college credits, all important… Ready to run, ready to face my fate.
ReplyDeleteSuddenly, a huge sound trembled in our house, then the electricity went off, no light, I heard many weeping and screams. I have to hold myself, I started praying again, I asked everyone to pray and recite the Quran. I remembered where I had my flashlight, I have to remember how many steps from the living room to the bedroom, I counted these steps many times when I was playing with my sister, who can get to the bedroom with fewer steps. I know this. I have to create a life image in my head and see it as if the lights are on. I came back with the flashlight and I know have more flashlights and candles in the kitchen.
The bombs got louder and louder, everyone wanted to keep the flashlight. I had to walk backwards to the kitchen to not be in a complete darkness. I was able to get to the 3rd kitchen drawer where my mother keeps the flashlights and candles. I got them, I got them!
Hanan, what a frightening scene. I am so sorry you and your family had to experience that. But Hanan, this is a fine example of how we can push our brains to blend back and forth to solve problems, and in your case and your family's, to stay calm and purposeful in a terrible situation.
DeleteThank you Dr. McCarthy for your kind words. This happened about 30 years ago.
DeleteI did not place the RB and LB. However, I can identify the activities/actions. Here
We started hearing bombs, the bombs' thunders were so loud, and the situation was so scary,(RL) more people are coming to our house to hide. We have to keep calm to help others. If I panic I will add to my father's stress, he wants to protect the whole family. I slayed calm assuring myself everything will be Ok (LB). I started to pray, and surely calmness started to enter my heart. Brought the emergency kit and the bag of all important documents: passports, birth certificates, college credits, all important… (LB) Ready to run, ready to face my fate.
Suddenly, a huge sound trembled in our house, then the electricity went off, no light, I heard many weeping and screams. I have to hold myself, I started praying again (RB), I asked everyone to pray and recite the Quran. I remembered where I had my flashlight, I have to remember how many steps from the living room to the bedroom (RB creating images), I counted these steps many times when I was playing with my sister, who can get to the bedroom with fewer steps. I know this. I have to create a life image in my head and see it as if the lights are on. I came back with the flashlight and I know have more flashlights and candles in the kitchen (LB).
The bombs got louder and louder, everyone wanted to keep the flashlight (RB emotions). I had to walk backwards to the kitchen to not be in a complete darkness (LB). I was able to get to the 3rd kitchen drawer where my mother keeps the flashlights and candles. I got them, I got them!