Everyone has an internal compass - probably many internal compasses (that is the correct plural term right, not compi?!) for morals, attitude, integrity, and the like.

The stroke spun my compasses (that just looks better than compi) out of control. Not that I have done anything wrong (a.k.a. interesting), I just was 'off'. After the stroke, my attitude compass was pointing straight West - I was, for lack of a better term, pretty much stoned for quite a few months (I suppose this makes sense given the dead brain cell similarity with drugs...). I was happy with everyone and everything in the world. If you hit me in the mouth, I would have said 'that's okay, no biggie' whereas my previous attitude would have been to deck you right back!

Then, my compass needle started to move and flipped to a strong East - I was angry about everything and at everyone. For no known reason. I am working to get my compass to move back to true North. Right now it is vascilating between North and East. I am more North by NorthEast right now and it feels a lot better than full on East. I have always been opinionated and blunt and had tamed those to the point that people could stand to be around me again. Now I have to focus on it again. I still find it very difficult to focus on those types of issues while just living. I am determined though. I want to be back to as close to me as I possibly can.

Now that I read through that, it is a pretty abstract concept but I don't know how else to explain or phrase it - it is the image in my mind that represents my feelings the best.