If You Thought Just One Wasn’t a Big Deal, Guess AgainÂ
Go back over a decade ago a story similar to this happened, it was in London but it didn’t end being known in the papers. Nor did it end up on any TV news bulletin. Canadian rock singer just so happened to be shooting a music video for one of his latest songs at the time.
That was now, but let’s go back to over ten years ago to then.
Mental Health Campaigner/Producer/Writer Jonny Benjamin, who has since spoken openly about his struggles living with Paranoid Schizophrenia was about to go to an extreme length so as to end his trauma.
It was a simple act of kindness from a stranger who helped him from doing what he was about to do. This gradually led to the Find Mike campaign where to went on a big nationwide.
In both instances it was a simple act of one person showing kindness that helped change the situation. A little bit of tea and sympathy went a long way and helped two people to realise that their traumatic situation didn’t have to end up in a horrific way.
This is what I mean when it comes to showing a sympathetic ear. Now you may look at one act of kindness and sympathy as not very much, or indeed question why it’s even worth it. Even I admit that have asked myself those very same questions. I mean quite often I have said to myself what difference would just a few kind words from me make? what would it change if indeed anything?
If I had to my a wild theory it’s that many of us compare ourselves to Counsellors and therefore don’t try to help because we don’t view ourselves as quality enough or think that we might end up saying the wrong thing.
Or we do something that’d result in the worst case scenario.
Well unless that one thing is done, we never actually know for sure.
Reflecting back on my own experiences durinf my early days at college I can recall occasionally having conversations with numerous other students, about anything. We’d even talk about the latest goings on in EastEnders. The fact that we were all on different courses didn’t stop, just gave us more to talk about. I can recall talking with a fellow student during which we’d go on about anything random.
The fellow student in question had been going through some personal issues at the time and I could see it was affecting their mental health. Anyways, during one of our conversations the taboo subject of ‘ending it all’ was mentioned. By that I meant suicide. Though I can’t remember exactly what we said I recall mentioning that it’s those who we leave behind that would probably suffer more.
Now I don’t actually know if they actually had suicidal thoughts or not or if they were just talking in scenarios, but what I did gather was that they just needed someone to talk to and listen.
Looking back I realised that even though I wasn’t a Counsellor it didn’t matter because even a sympathetic peer was just as powerful.
Now while all small little things may seem like that, tiny and quiet possibly insignificant, the effect of that humanity and warmth can actually go a long way. Sometimes further than you think.
For me, I openly admit that if it’s someone that I happen to be familiar with then I don’t really think twice about approaching, mainly because I just happen to know them. Like with friends, family or people who I just happen to know from school, university or college, or someone I know at a place I used to work. I know that person, I’ve gotten to know them, get where they’re coming from and so on. I more or less know how to approach
However when it’s someone I don’t know I do find myself stepping forward with caution. I don’t know anything about that random stranger I’m about to help, I mean would I be able to help, would my actions be what push them over the edge?
All those small things, but the flip side is that if I didn’t and just kept out of it would my actions or words of compassion what stopped them from doing the worst?
Basically unless you try, you won’t know. Even just showing someone you give a damn will demonstrate that there’s still hope in some darker areas.
