Staying/Getting/Doing Well – Moving goalposts or fixed target?

[Paw Prints]

Hi, this is my first post, though I have been reading the forums for some weeks. I’m probably expressing myself badly when I say that I have found reading about other people’s journeys reassuring. Finding a community of people who “get it” even when they have a wide variety of experiences and lives lived is not something I thought I would ever find.

Though people talk about getting well & there is a section Staying Well, I’m curious as to what this actually means to other people and how they manage their expectations. I noticed some people refer to being well as ‘being like themselves before they got ill’, whilst others don’t express an exact aim.

My idea of being well has changed over the years. I was first diagnosed as an 8 year old child back in the late sixties. The doctors told Mum that the voices in my head & the sudden crying bouts were because I suffered from ‘nerves’ & I was given meds to calm me. Of course such things were not discussed back then & I was told not to talk about it to anyone, not my school friends nor siblings, just Mum. For decades after my idea of being well simply meant being able to hide my illness from others.

A number of events in my life caused my illness to worsen, until some years ago I became so ill I needed to be hospitalised for my own safety. This lead to my current diagnosis of Major Depression, Anxiety & PTSD. I’m no longer in that dark place, but each day is still a battle (though I can now believe in a future). For now only my siblings & one friend know about my illness, though some things they still don’t know.
So, what does ‘being well’ mean to me, it is ever moving goalposts. If you had asked me 5 years ago would I be as well as I am now I would have thought it impossible as I couldn’t envision a future. If you had asked me last week (during one of my down periods) I would have said my progress was all an illusion & I was fooling myself that things can get better.
For now my idea of being well is being able to believe that things can change for the better, that I will one day be able to manage the everyday things like housework, caring for myself & caring for my dog & maybe, just maybe I will even be able to enjoy myself.

Paw Prints
**I took the tip to give myself time to write my post by writing on a word doc & then paste it.

[Eagle Ray]

Hello Paws and Croix,

Ahhh, the blue screen of doom 😲 I am finding at the moment there is some kind of issue with posts not submitting, like a glitch in the system, so I end up copying the content and having to refresh the screen then paste in the content again. Anyway, I hope the blue screen of doom does not become too prevalent.

Animal was my favourite as a kid because I liked how crazy he was, like it gave permission to go bananas 🤣 I think I really wanted a drum kit to bash too 🥁 I did not know the actual name of all the band members, but I do visually remember them when I see them. The names are quite funny - e.g. Lips played the trumpet - ha ha!

I did not know at all about Penguin Awareness Day. How lovely there is such a thing. It's made me realise that probably nearly every day of the year is an awareness day for something. That made me look that up, and in parts of the world where it is still the 21 Jan (it's 22 Jan here), it's Squirrel Awareness Day 😂 Specifically I read that it "is a day to learn about and celebrate the world's cutest rodents" 😆 

Yes, I think it's very important we keep the kiwis away from marker pens 🤣 The penguins may draw some fish, but then it's going to be predictable. So I'm hoping the sounds of banjo music will trigger something else in their minds that is unexpected. As banjo music is played in the Appalachian mountains, perhaps something weird will emerge, like a fish/squirrel hybrid creature (especially given that it's squirrel awareness time and images of squirrels may be floating around in the collective uncoscnoius, ready to be downloaded into the minds of penguins). I probably sound like a kiwi who has been imbibing now.

Yes, it was very hot in parts of WA yesterday. I think it was about 41 in Perth. There were some local reports from the Pilbara exceeding 50 degrees while I think the official records were in the high 40s up there. Fortunately it was the high 20s down here, so much more pleasant. There was even some rain this morning. Baby galahs are squawking incessantly in trees across from me as I type this. There are lots of birds chattering actually and the birds love this sort of cloudy, slightly rainy weather. I hope too that those showers where you are Paws put out any remnant fires.

I meant to say too Croix, I also like Gareth Lucas' images of narwhals. He does so many different animals and they are so cute.

Have a lovely day,

Hugs,

ER

[Paw Prints]

Hello ER, Croix, wave to everyone,

I've noticed these past few days that BB is not saving posts. I almost always do the copy paste anyway as my connection can drop in & out which can leave me blissfully typing away while not actually connected, no connection means BB can't save it or often I've taken too long writing my post & it only saves a set amount of times & I've exceeded them. 

"I probably sound like a kiwi who has been imbibing now."  Should I be hiding the markers from you as well? 🤣🤣  

Hmmm... you are right it would be rather predictable that the penguins would draw fish...  perhaps we could distract the penguins from entering the drawing competition by having them perform a Penguin Spectacular along the lines of Happy Feet meets Riverdance...  🐧🐧💃  That way we can keeping the drawing contest for the multitudes who will attend. 🥳  I'm sure the penguins will be tickled pink to perform.  We do need to think of who we can get to do the catering????  The kiwis can re-open their brewery from the last do, so drinks are sorted.... but food???

Yes Animal was one of my favourite Muppets too.  The others were the two old codgers sitting in the theatre balcony... I loved their irreverence.  I was rather fond of the Swedish Chef as well.

Unfortunately the showers weren't enough to put the fires nearest me out & the latest update is that there are still hot spots & some fire in the areas the crews can't reach.  The good news is that it is contained, plus the smoke has mostly cleared & they have had a week to build defensive lines ahead of the hot weather this coming weekend.  

How lovely having the baby Galahs serenading you.  Though I do hope you don't have a large flock of adults about as they can be deafening when all squawking at once, plus the do like to chew everything they shouldn't.  

hugs

Paws