Wednesday 16 December 2009: A Picture As A Thousand Words
Today has been a long day. I was co-chairing a conference for the Lothian Recivery Network, which is a collection of professionals, vol orgs and people with lived expereince who share a common commitment to promoting recovery from mental ill health. The image is of a graphoc representation of the day. which was produced by Linda Keys, a Graphoc Facilitator with Edinburgh Development Group. It appears with her permission and that of the organiser.
The day was interesting,. I met up with someone i'd not seen for 10 years, who was perfoming some of ther outstanding poetry. She gave me a book, and permission to quote, and I promise when i've picked a good one, i'll write it here. J was wearing bright cerise accessories today, and looked fab If you look closely you'll see her on the left of the image, in cartoon form,
We also had a contribution from a songwriter, who sung some of his work, and some other songs. This one by Phil Ochs really struck a chord with me...a powerful message of recovery, particulary to those who have been suicidal. Several of us there agreed that, based on that expereince, where some others felt it was negative. Ochs eventually lost his battle.
When I'm Gone - Phil Ochs
There's no place in this world where I'll belong when I'm gone
And I won't know the right from the wrong when I'm gone
And you won't find me singin' on this song when I'm gone
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here
And I won't feel the flowing of the time when I'm gone
All the pleasures of love will not be mine when I'm gone
My pen won't pour out a lyric line when I'm gone
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here
And I won't breathe the bracing air when I'm gone
And I can't even worry 'bout my cares when I'm gone
Won't be asked to do my share when I'm gone
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here
And I won't be running from the rain when I'm gone
And I can't even suffer from the pain when I'm gone
Can't say who's to praise and who's to blame when I'm gone
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here
Won't see the golden of the sun when I'm gone
And the evenings and the mornings will be one when I'm gone
Can't be singing louder than the guns when I'm gone
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here
All my days won't be dances of delight when I'm gone
And the sands will be shifting from my sight when I'm gone
Can't add my name into the fight while I'm gone
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here
And I won't be laughing at the lies when I'm gone
And I can't question how or when or why when I'm gone
Can't live proud enough to die when I'm gone
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here
What I love about recovery is that you can be yourself. There was a guy there knitting today. He explained in the workshop that he knits to help him concentrate, and remind him of the interconnectedness of all things, and the detail that makes up the world. He knits patterned squares, and that gives him meaning and purpose. He then gives squares out to people who he feels he has made a connection with, and someone spoke of meeting a fellow professional with a square, and thinking 'they must be all right'. I got given a square, and was really touched.
Tonight was Peter Pan at the Lyceum with Cyclops, MrsCyclops, SweetPotatoSkying and some non-blipping frineds and colleagues. It was surreal and magical, and if you haven't seen it and get a chance, do!
FinePix F200EXR : f/3.3 : 1/20" : 6.4mm : ISO 400
Comments
That sounds like a very stimulating day - what a great poster.
~ SooB
Wow! So many things going on that day! Sound very meaningful and profound.
~ nina54
Hello. It does sound like a really full on day but one of those that you really want to have in life. I enjoyed the poem. It really helped me at this time
~ acc
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