Last week I was
fortunate to spend a few hours on the "Orwell Lady" river cruise as
part of a colleague’s birthday celebration. It took us down the River Orwell,
from Ipswich down to Harwich and back.
Before I’d gone I thought I was familiar with most of the
journey, I had travelled by road (and bike) between Ipswich and Felixstowe
many, many times - and spent a few years travelling to Chelmondiston and back.
However, the view from the river is very different. We saw things that you just couldn't see from the land.
Various parts of the docks that I didn't know about, old buildings built by
land owners that seemed to have nothing better to do, and masses of yachts
moored off the shore.
Along the way there were many stories told by the skipper, opening
up the history that passed in front of our eyes.
And I was thinking, it’s a bit like life….
We often see people but don’t know the struggles or barriers
that they have gone thru in their lives.
There is often so much complexity that we just don’t know about.
As part of the hundreds of applications I’ve had from people
joining the Peer Support Network at work, I am often amazed about the openness
of people's reasons for joining the network.
For example, recently somebody told me how he has struggled
with depression following a child suicide, another lady explained how she's got
an alcoholic partner... and there are so many other stories that, to be honest,
are just too upsetting to replicate word for word.
Outside the Support Network, I’ve got friends who were
abused as a child, or assaulted as a teenager.
Each one of these people has scars because of their past,
many are using their experience to help others going through a similar life
journey.
It's a reminder that so many people suffer with mental
health issues; and generally, most people don’t know about their struggles -
and it reminds me that we should take another look at people, to accept them
how they are, non-judgementally.
Peoples life journey is unpredictable, some people find that
their life sticks to a wide-open road- others take a tumble, and yet others
have the privilege of cruising down the river, and seeing life from a different
perspective.
Until you've been there. best not to judge.
