AN_p32_p33_eddiepea_40+44_AN107_Long.QXD 29/06/2021 09:27 Page 1
Eddie It’s all in the mind? RE YOU OLD ENOUGH, or brave enough, to admit to remembering “Little Joe”? He was one of the Cartwright family in a dusty old TV cowboy series called Bonanza. In my memory it was on every week, and I cannot recall that anything of any importance ever happened although it was reassuringly entertaining to a growing boy.
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I would like you to meet another little Joe. This one is our grandson. Although we must confess to a certain amount of bias, with great respect, he has it over the dashing Hollywood version. Our one is 4 years old with golden blonde hair, endless energy and is bursting with fun. He came wandering into the kitchen the other day holding a small piece of cellophane. He held it up for us to see and declared “Look, I have found some invisible rubbish”. He brought the proverbial house I down! I find it heartening that one comment can bring so much warmth, pleasure, and fun into a routine day. It is even more striking that this pearl of wit and wisdom came, in total innocence, from a small boy. It certainly set my mind into action. If you are W inclined, and you have a copy of the King James Bible handy, you will find in Psalms 8:2 the famous quotation, “Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength.” Well Joe certainly gave us some strength and caused us to reflect and enjoy a precious moment together. We sadly saw little of Joe or any of our grandchildren during the past year owing to this W coronavirus. Joe and his lovely family live quite close so we managed to see them, albeit for very brief moments. The duration of our reunions were frustratingly limited to conversing through their living room window. These visits were, for many months, also restricted by the British winter weather! The rest of our family are spread around the country 32
and, as a result, we were not able to see them at all. We did try “video” sessions and whilst these are fine, they just ain’t the same! We are not special or more disadvantaged than anyone else. One of the most irksome by-products of this freak event is that everyone has been challenged one way or another. Daily life is gradually improving, but we have yet to completely shake off the effects of the wretched COVID pandemic. Our little Joe`s shrewd observation made us consider the plight of millions around the world who are grappling with its repercussions. In truth, many of these are just as invisible to us as we soldier through our own daily routines. Here, in our own back yard, the elderly and physically disadvantaged are often finding themselves isolated and lonely. Lockdowns and tier systems have understandably added anxiety and stress. It is very easy to become depressed as a result. It can be difficult to maintain some perspective through these testing times. Plenty of self-motivation is required to avoid becoming lonely and downcast. It is also more than possible to become lonely even when surrounded by friends or family. Mental illness is becoming as popular a subject on my radio as the weather. Having spent my working life in the mobility industry I have been privileged to meet dozens of people experiencing the effects of all sorts of horrible debilitating diseases. I was, and still am, amazed at how many of these people cope with the physical aspects of their plight through their strong mental capacity. This strength was also invisible to the naked eye. The flip side of this is, sadly, that many people are not naturally emotionally strong. It is easy to slip into a
Eddie Peacock has worked in the mobility industry for “rather a long time”. He enjoyed a challenging career having started by selling wheelchairs, scooters and stairlifts for Sunrise Medical, eventually working his way to the position of UK sales manager. After a period as a self-employed consultant he was invited to manage movingpeople.net, now Handicare Ltd, in
Ability Needs Magazine
