New Year , Lightish!

Ah New Years Eve a day for reflection and contemplation or using whatever means are available to avoid doing the same!

I started the reflection bit a week ago when the papers started publishing reviews of the year in film, theatre and music etc.  Over the past year I’ve rekindled my interest in “The Arts” aka I’ve went to the cinema a couple of times and to the odd play and even on a road trip to The Galway Arts festival! I also dabbled into the whole literature thing, reading some books which had received wonderful reviews or won awards, I may have discovered a love for the arts, but the literature part still escapes me. Embracing the One City One Book in April and reading “Dubliners” inspired me to cross Ulysses off my bucket list!

I’ve never been a huge music fan and wouldn’t consider myself to have any sort of taste in music; in fact I’d sort of given up on it. Nevertheless often when I’m drawing or walking or looking at a piece of art it’s often a line from a song which pops into my head! It’s strange as somehow it all seems to come together from somewhere in the subconscious!!

I’ve always been a pretty sciencey person and didn't put much weight in the arts, however some of the themes the artists I’ve encountered have dealt with, particularly those in relation to human nature, suffering and resilience have revealed the deep understanding and body of knowledge which exists and often lies ignored within the arts. My horizons have broadened to say the least! No longer can I sit in my “Ivory Tower” and look down at the rappers and rock stars of this world, thinking them to be off the wall, not living in the real world, their opinions, knowledge, skill and views may be expressed through different media, but just because I and perhaps some of the so called experts don’t always get it doesn't mean a thing! My favourite song of the year as you may have guessed was Labyrinth and Emilie Sande the lyrics are beautiful, the other song which I heard and which have resonated with me included Katherine Jenkins singing Angel. However I’ve also had bursts of inspiration from Dolly Parton, Green Day and One Direction.

It was however films and dramas which had the most impact on me. Two films I would encourage you to see are “What Richard Did” and “Silver Linings Playbook” and of course the eye opening and gritty ”Love Hate” was yet again the most moving drama I watched.

 I emerged from seeing what Richard Did and concluded that it wasn't a film that I enjoyed seeing, although the lead actor is pretty hot!, but it was a film I certainly will have benefited from seeing . It really conveyed how drastically things can change due to one mistake, the way in which actions undertaken under the influence of excessive alcohol can result in lifelong or life limiting consequences and the internal prison of the mind and the conscience. The acting and the storyline was so powerful it blew me away. I’d incorporate this film into the Drink Aware campaign immediately and think it should be introduced as an essential part of the S.P.H.E curriculum immediately.

Silver Linings Playbook shone a light on mental illness, the associated stigma and challenges faced by those struggling with mental illness and the capacity to grow and develop and live a satisfactory life while managing mental health issues. It lead me to question my own position in relation to mental health issues and to reflect on which of the characters portrayed I empathised most with and which traits I could see in those around me. It also opened my eyes to the variety of people and their different journeys which exists. The capacity of shared interests to act as a uniting or dividing factor was portrayed through  sport and finally the support which can be offered by those who genuinely care irrespective of how flawed their attempts to offer help may be was evident and all of this was conveyed through an entertaining , engaging comedy!

Love Hate, well it makes me look at the reports of gangland killings, drugs hauls, prostitution etc. from a much more human perspective. It’s not just news any-more and it’s a dark lonely world which I'm keen to avoid. Sometimes a touch of reality and a display of humanity have a greater impact than the most elaborate “Special Effects” 

How much does a blog weigh?

As previously mentioned I have views on a diverse range of things which I'm hoping to share in the blog, some frivolous casual topics, others more weighty issues. I'm going to append my titles with Light or Heavy depending on which category I think the piece best fits into as depending on you're mood you may or may not be in the form for reading my musings!

I heard an interesting radio interview with Terry Wogan during the week, I know I know What was I doing listening to Terry Wogan being interviewed! I make no apologies for my taste in radio :)
He actually suprised me as he appeared to be very modest and not really that opinionated, although he was being questioned to a degree on the Jimmy Saville controversy and to be honest there's not much which can be said about that. I suppose what I liked about him was his final remarks when asked about what his opinion on a particular topic was and when he responded that he didn't think that he , just because he worked in radio , had any more right to offer his opinion on a topic in which he wasn't expert than anyone else. He said he disagreed with the way in which just because an individual works in the radio or the media that their personal views are given so much more consideration than the general public.
It raises the issue of  how we and many of our opinions are influenced by those who work in the media. Often those providing the information and views on which we form our opinions are not neccessarily qualified to do so and may simply be individuals who are famous for some entirely different reason. Yes they have managed to catch our attention with their talents, but does that mean that there is anymore value in their opinions than in your own or in that of your family or peers. In fact I suggest that often it is unhelpful for those who are not adequately qualified to offer advice and opinions via the media, particularly when dealing with serious topics.

I firmly believe in equality and have never endorsed the idea of the monarchy, that someone holds a particular position simply because of the family they were born into. Yet even when I was attending the democratically elected President's "Being Young and Irish " seminar in the Phoenix park I had the sense that all the reverence and ceremony was slightly misplaced. Not so much in relation to the president himself , but all his aides and the organisational staff and other  "important " people to whom the decleration one Ireland of the future was being presented. I believe that we all have value and that our opinions are worthwhile, yet so often we feel inferior to those around us, almost as if we aren't good enough to share our views, as if we should be honoured that we are being given the opportunity to engage with these people.
I would like to people earn their positions of authority, like it or not the President and indeed the members of cabinet earn their positions by being democratically elected, is this the case for all their aides? Nonetheless often the reason for their selection s the strategic use of the media and unkept promises!
How do radio and T.V presenters earn their roles in the national broadcaster?
Perhaps we need to see a more transparent system where individuals prove to us why they deserve to be provided with a platform to advise and speak on matters and acquire large salaries for doing so. Without doubt I beleive in the concept of a salary which reflects the knowledge and expertise of the individual and the weight of the role they carry, however I think we need to question this more.
Frequently medical consultants high salaries come under scrutiny, nevertheless I believe most of them earn every penny of what they get, when compared to other roles and the salaries received. Consultants tend to be experts with at least 10 years post graduate training in a given field , training which involved working over 50 hour weeks, night shifts, on call etc, furthermore they will have had to engage in high levels of CPD, written papers and all that only starts after they commence a grueling 7 year undergraduate degree!
I wonder do the radio presenters have the same level of expertise?

Humbugs

I’m trying to embrace Christmas this year, really I am. My chambre is adorned with fairylights, I’ve made my own Christmas cards, I’m playing Christmas music and cooing over cute images of Santa and snowmen, but the cynic in me can’t help but feel like I’m being taken for a ride, along with all the rest of ye!

Christmas, a single day, becomes the dominant focus of almost a quarter of the year. I for one am succumbing to Christmas fatigue! From the hype surrounding the Christmas parties, to the Kris Kindle gifts, to the carols, to the tins of chocolates, the novelty factor is beginning to wear off.

Personally I find Christmas pretty boring, everything sort of winds up for a few days on Christmas eve, the newspapers and radio stations are padded out with top tens from the year that’s gone, the T.V. is dominated by films we’ve already seen or Christmas specials of our favourite shows, which quite frankly don’t have the wow factor we’ve come to expect. Lucky ones will be surrounded by familial bliss, the majority of us will be subjected to spending large amounts of time playing happy families, while others will acutely feel the sadness and loneliness of not being with those they love. 

Days are spent, conversing over a never ending supply of rich and indulgent food which we are actively encouraged to buy in the interests of treating ourselves. This concept of indulgence and treating ourselves and others is hammered home by sentimental Christmas advertisements and special offers creating an expectation of extravagance at this time of year .Extravagance we crave and go to extraordinary lengths to embrace even when money is tight. Come the first of January shelves which were , the week before, filled with chocolates, boxes of crisps, champagne and  creamy desserts are now filled with fat free yogurt, sugar free drinks, and low cal ready meals. The media abounds with plans to loose weight and “transform” yourself. We are made acutely aware of the damage our periods of over indulgence have done to our health and well-being and respond with feelings of guilt and shame and fleeting determination to change.

To an extent we seem to be caught in an annual cycle of anticipation, expectation, indulgence, disappointment, guilt, and remorse. There’s a sense that commercial powers are happy to encourage us to through caution to the wind and to spend and indulge in the period prior to New Year and then they flip a switch and start to admonish us for our indulgence, leaving us to sort out the large credit card bill and in some cases waist line we’ve acquired over the festive period!

I for one would rather not be a pawn in this game this year! Or at least if I do engage in it I want to glean some sort of positive, a lasting positive from it. I don’t intend to feel guilty for treating myself or want to emerge in January with added risk factors for my mental or physical health, just because I’ve been duped by some cheesy vision of Christmas indulgence and domestic bliss.

Can someone pass the Humbugs please!

Tragedy

Over the past fortnight suicide and the reporting of suicide and combined suicide/homicide has been to the forefront of many discussions. We’ve spoken about it within my household, something positive I think, open broad-minded discussion. It was also a topic spoken about at length on radio including on Marian Finucane’s weekend radio show on our national broadcaster R.T.E. I was disappointed at the lack of expertise of the panel in the area of suicide and mental health problems given the seriousness of the issues they were discussing.

 I was slightly impressed by the ability of the Minister to admit that they didn’t actually know what to do in order to halt the increase in suicides and the acknowledgement that a strategy had to be implemented as a matter of priority in this area. I would suggest to the minister that perhaps guidance on where to start could be sought from survivors of near fatal suicide attempts and from those who are actively working in a voluntary capacity in suicide prevention organisations and in the mental health arena. Secondly I suggest adequately funding the organisations who are saving lives through supporting individuals who find themselves contemplating suicide, such as Pieta House, The Samaritans and SOSAD and also directing funds towards organisations who are actively working to promote mental health and challenge stigma in this area, such as Head strong, BodyWhys, See Change, Aware. Perhaps if these organisations , who already have effective support frameworks established and numerous skilled individuals working with them, didn’t have to direct as many resources towards fundraising they’d have more time to engage with vulnerable individuals.

 In terms of the media reporting on death by suicide, I think no judgement should be passed on those who have died by suicide, views that they were selfish to take their own lives, or acknowledgement of the suffering and distress which led them to take this drastic action, or lengthy references to how great they were and how much they had going for them, should all in my view be avoided. Death is tragic and final and death by suicide is unnecessary I feel it may be more beneficial to focus on the devastation felt by families and friends after the death of a loved one by suicide. Perhaps in the time when someone feels that others would be better off without them the testimonies of those left behind may resonate with them.

The concept of dealing with extreme distress and enduring it in the hope that it will pass with time, or that with time help may come and that things can and will get better also has to be better publicised. It is imperative that all interventions to buy time, to prolong the individual’s life are taken and made widely available. I agree very much with Padraig O’ Morain when he wrote a piece in the Irish times about suicide warning signs. He quoted a study from the US carried out among 15-34 year olds who had made what they classified as nearly lethal suicide attempts .Almost a quarter of those who made nearly lethal attempts said they decided to kill themselves less than five minutes before the attempt. More than two-thirds made the decision an hour or less before the attempt. Only one in eight, 13 per cent, had made the decision a day or more beforehand.

What this seems to mean is that many people attempt suicide in response to a temporary crisis. He also referred to the fact that studies of people who almost died in suicide attempts have found that decades later 90 per cent were still alive. He summarised these results by stating that the impulse to take one’s own life can sometimes be very short term and will not be repeated if the person is prevented from carrying out the act.

He suggested and I after reading his article concur that young people need to be given an emotional education in how to handle distress.

 Fostering resilience, building self esteem,  developing coping mechanisms for difficult and stressful times, facilitating discussion about mental health, equipping people to deal with distress and crisis intervention supports could all prove , in my opinion worthwhile as part of a suicide prevention strategy.

Feeling the cold

Warmth

Are women more sensitive to the cold than men? Are irish women particularly sensitive to the cold? So many of the females I know comment on the cold in the house, the restaurant, their workplace … the heat and having the heat on when they come in in the evening or get up in the morning etc is a major concerns. I rarely encounter the same emphasis on the temperature among men. It’s only when it’s icy cold that the males I know actually think about putting on the heat, they never return from a night at the pub or in a restaurant and comment on the heat; it just doesn’t seem to feature as dominantly on their radar!

I HATE being cold, it’s such an unpleasant, uncomfortable feeling. One of the reasons I’m so reluctant to embrace water sports, including swimming, skiing and any outdoor activities is my dislike of the cold. I’m a heat fiend. Perhaps that’s why it really upset me to hear of a homeless man dying in a doorway from hypothermia. I think of how dreadfully uncomfortable he may have been in the hours before his death, gradually getting colder and colder. To be homeless, for me is one of the worst possible situations a human could encounter. Whenever we have problems, difficulties, however dreadful they may be not having a bed to sleep in away from the elements surely must magnify them and deepen the distress. Feeling every minute of the cold, being so vulnerable to human unkindness and the elements, a hardship surely beyond human tolerance.

Whether an individual is an alcoholic or a drug addict, irrespective of what illnesses, addictions, and difficulties they have, no one should have to suffer like this.

What can I do? I have a couple of old warm winter coats I can donate to the Simon Community, I can probably gather some from others too and perhaps some hats and scarfs. Hopefully other donations and the cooperation of the government will come together to provide hostel accommodation, wet and dry and adequate supports for those who have found themselves in this position, or who have fallen into this way of life due to addiction.

What it's all about!

Ever felt that no one really gives a dam about what you’ve got to say, that it’s a trial for people to listen to you! I think and talk a lot, I have views and ideas in so many areas, they’re just bursting to be discussed, shared expressed!  Unfortunately my poor family tend to be the subject of my unrelenting stream of thoughts, ideas, Eureka and Soapbox moments! I in turn am irritated by their lack of enthusiasm, hence this blog!

A friend advised me to start a blog, encouraged me that my insights were valuable and that this might be a way of engaging in discussion with others and having my voice heard!

Hence this blog, a combination of my random musings, thoughts , ideas, solution to problems and a snapshot of what’s going on in my busy mind.

I don’t intend to offend , or frustrate anyone by what I say, I’m open to challenges on any of my opinions, I’d love to receive feedback and am open to seeing things from different perspectives. Everything I write is my own opinions etc. , belongs to me and is my responsibility!