Father Bernie was my sophomore high school Biology teacher growing up in Buffalo New York. I will never forget when the subject of

of discussion was whether the consumption of alcohol made your body warmer or colder. Fr. Bernie being the consummate instructor

he was explaining how the consumption of alcohol actually lowers the body temperature which makes the drinking of alcohol

dangerous to the unsuspecting reveler on a cold Buffalo Winter's night.

Being the cavalier man of the world that I was at 16 years old I naturally took exception to his premise.

Many of my weekend evenings were spent with my fellow miscreants consuming various spirits to warm our souls and bodies  so I

was sure that he was simply uninformed

The subject turned to how long it takes alcohol to leave our system and for a person to sober up after becoming inebriated.

Fr. Bernie corrected my misguided assumption that drinking coffee will sober you up. He said that we will only be a more wide awake

drunk.

The answer of course was that Fr. Bernie was correct on both counts . Never mind the fact that I never should have been doing those

things at that age. I couldn't understand why I felt so warm after drinking when it was so cold outside. It really made me feel warmer.

It was all the mind playing tricks on us drunks he explained, and was very dangerous to boot.

As far as "sobering up" he said it was all up to the liver. He said that the best that we could do was to encourage the liver to do it's job.

He said we might as well cheer the liver on with chants of "Go liver go, go liver go". We all laughed but we also began to understand.

I was thinking about these lessons during yesterdays morning walk with my daughters little Chihuahua, Cooper.

I was not having a particular limber day. As for all of us some days we feel better than others. I was stiff and feeling like a strokie.

One of the exercises that I have been doing since about six months after my stroke is bouncing and catching a tennis ball in

alternating hands. I was growing frustrated when my affected left hand just wasn't responding. I figured after doing this exercise off

and on for a year and a half that I would have a much higher proficiency rate. If I continue doing it, like anything I get much better

as I go on. But if I don't do it for a couple of weeks, it is not like riding a bicycle. I have to start from scratch because the connection

from the brain to the fingers just is not there at 100 % yet but I am working on it.

All this brings me back to father Bernie and his go liver go cheer.

If you have read any of my other blogs or have been to my website at Strokes Suck  you would have noticed a term that I use

frequently, Neuroplascity. Neuroplascity is the term used for the brain to rewire itself.. I often visualize this word when I am exercising

 and actualize visualize the process of the neurons growing and expanding from my brain to my affected arm and leg.

I literally use Fr. Bernie's technique of cheering on my brain rejuvenate itself by saying "go brain go, go brain go".

So heal yourself. Never give up. Improve a little bit each and every day. Be an example to others. Inspire yourself and help others to be

inspired. Go brain go.