Saturday, November 24, 2018

Coming out fighting

I started this blog in 2005 when blogging was beginning to be fashionable. Like many a blog it has become moribund over the last few years but I have resurrected it from time to time to emphasise that I still support FEAST. The last couple of weeks seem to have produced a sort of blogging diarrhoea in me so here goes again;

I can't remember at which conference I added the boxing kangaroo picture.  It is, of course, a reference to Janet Treasure's animal analogies. The kangaroo is too nurturing, holds the patient too tight, doesn't let her her (and in these things it usually is her, not him and never they) develop their own identity. Knowing how very easy it is to fall out of the "system", to have glaringly obvious needs ignored rather than met in a chaotic system that often appears more mentally unwell than the patient I bloody well will hold me and mine close and what's more I'll fight for them. I do realise though that just punching people, however tempting it might be, isn't constructive and won't work.

I know a boxer. Boxing hasn't revolutionised his life. He struggles and is as an adult dependent on his parents. But boxing gives him a status, an interest, a purpose. It could be dangerous but it really isn't because he doesn't lash out, he trains, he uses technique, he knows his equipment. I admire him. I am going to follow his example. The good and the bad of this conference has reinvigorated my fighting spirit, but I'm going to train hard and buy a new pair of gloves, not just hit out. I will be much more dangerous that way.

As a very brave person has just tweeted "empowered people are dangerous. They know how to survive"

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