Cheap talk and clever works

Over the last couple of weeks I can't say I've had  that good a time of it. Wherever I go people speak of troubles. It can be exhausting just listening to them and the solution is simple - don't. When in doubt, take time out.

One of my best advisors are my feline companions but, as anyone who has a cat as a companion will tell you they can get into all sorts of scrapes. It's just as well that they are rumoured to have nine lives. Last night for example there was a huge cat fight and mine of course waded in trying to take on all the others despite being the smallest of the lot. She seems attracted to troubles and taking them all on without back up. I provided back up and followed the noise to hiss louder than any of them. Did my companion take the hint and return home safely. Nope. She stayed out all night and I fretted about her safety but there was nothing more I could do.

This morning she behaves as if nothing has happened at all. Complacent and supercilious as ever. Nonchalent and dismissive of the fact that there was ever any bother at all. Happy in herself and not a mark on her. I have no idea how she does this but animals tend to know far better than we do when to reign themselves back from total disaster. Many creatures get back up before they go into battle and most are wise enough not to tackle things that are bigger and more dangerous than themselves.

Watching animals can be like holding a mirror up to ourselves and our own worst habits. As I've said many times now on social media, I hope the wildlife of the world does not pick up on ours. For me recalling what works in times of peace helps enormously, it doesn't make things easier when fretting merely a little more manageable. It helps us all to keep going.

My feline friend was and still is a radical. She is rash at times, careless and fickle to me. I cannot profess to understand her at all and yet something tells me I am not so different. Something tells me none of us are and that awareness too can help us to be less intolerant of others, more forgiving and gain a bit more control of ourselves. Such is one of the many things I have learned when I have needed good counselling from those trained in the art.

Luckily the advice I have from my medical team is permission to have fun, relax and explore nice things in order to fully recover from my ailment. Others have to adjust and manage theirs according to their medical teams. Sadly, relatives, friends, families, colleagues politicians and the media can often confuse those struggling with their health. Sometimes saying less helps the most until we find the right people to trust.

I trust our Emergency Services - the fire crews that can tell from their experience that a lot of smoke does not always mean a big fire but it can be just as dangerous. I trust our Police Force, the majority of whom do their best too to investigate as fairly as possible as a team whatever incidents require their intervention. I trust our medical teams too despite the whistle being blown on abuse cases for the majority of them are just doing their best. They are all trained to be prepared to be suspended while investigations take place but nothing can quite prepare anyone for that reality when it comes. Leaving things to professional teams to investigate things can be a very frightening experience but the statistics show that few people are wrongly convicted of anything and in the UK we have a very strong appeal process to help with many advocates.

So what do you do when under investigation? How about take a break. Use the time to calm down and reflect and do something fun. There's nothing to be done beforehand anyway so why fear what may not happen? I write this because I know of many who have to give testimony which is a frightening thing to have to do, but being clear about what you saw and heard it vital for justice to prevail and nasty icky dangerous people to get the appropriate treatment they need.

I can think of no two nations better equipped to combat terrorism than Britain and Ireland. Every day there is not a violent incident is another step closer to return to peaceful, worry free times. In our little group of islands we are used to having to reign back to stay safe and it really isn't so bad to do so when one can in the process have fun playing sports, going for walks and getting arty, crafty and creative.

I hope that helps. I conclude with another poem of mine from many moons ago... I was learning the ropes on psychology then. Be careful never to accuse others of what you, yourself (like me) are sometimes guilty of - unless asked to... to save lives. 

Paranoia

Someone’s told on all I did

I’m now exposed on what I hid.

Someone’s sent out word to all

Now, no visits no missives no calls.

Someone’s shopped me but what for?

Shrinks and bailiffs at my door?

Someone’s ill from what I’ve said

And it’s my fault that they’ll be dead.

Someone’s forgotten to do that or this

Because it was me that was remiss.

Someone’s cursing at my name

Somehow because I’m to blame.

Someone is choosing for a whim

To reveal my every single sin.

Someone’s watching my every deed

Everything I write, everything I read

Someone’s told them and that’s the key

I now suspect that someone’s me.

Written circa 2004