25/07/2025
With warmth, wit, and wisdom, our staff member Paddy Holdcroft takes us on a journey outside the metaphorical (and literal) gate, where connection, laughter, and shared humanity thrive. It is a reminder that those we support deserve more than just protection; they deserve the full richness of life. This is a call to be not just safe harbours, but guiding lighthouses.
'John Agustus Shedd, famous American author and professor, once stated that "a ship is safe in the harbour but that's not what it was built for". Sure, if we all wrapped ourselves up in cotton wool, stayed away from the madding crowds, consuming kale leaves and carrot juice, our chances of mishaps would be surely somewhat lessened, but simultaneously we'd be bored out of our metaphorical trees. We may not even live longer, but it'll sure SEEM longer.
The dictum for us all in life, those with a certain amount of self-autonomy and those who dispense it, should know that the two real enemies of happiness are pain and boredom. Sadly, the former can sometimes be a little short on choice, but the latter does have a myriad of alternatives, and our quality-of-life outcome depends on which we choose.
For those of us, privileged to be in a position to assist "the lads" through their day/life, our propensity to get the cotton wool out should be when only necessary and we should make and take adventures, in, of course, a risk-controlled manner. OK, on such "adventures" as a carer, your attentiveness and possibly scanner is on high alert, but the rewards, oh, the rewards, are beautiful.....
Case in point was Patrick and myself painting the perimeter wall in Rivergrove Saturday (12th July). Sure, wouldn't it have been easier/safer/blander to be painting INSIDE the gate, where there was no traffic, crowds or obstacles. Better still, not painting at all. Yeah, sure, super safe but totally bereft of anything resembling craic.
Now, on the other side of the gate the craic, on a mid-summer’s day, was whoopie....
Ostensibly, we were there to do a job, i.e. paint the friggin wall, but it was the resultant social aspect of the chore that proved to be the real gem. I swear to God, some 100 plus people greeted us, 50 stopped for a chat, two brought us ice cream cones over from Spar and two more, diet cokes. All referred to Patrick and, as he likes, the good people of Dunleer, are no shrinking violet in the game of interaction, the conversations were priceless.
The upshot of the day was that Patrick had a fun filled day of purpose. He was doing a job that needed to be done but doing it in a manner that would put the original template for community integration to shame.
Of course, in this case, "outside the gate" was in a literal sense. But it can also be metaphorical too. You can replace the painting with sea/ public pool swimming/ bike riding/walking/mass attendance, concert going, /holiday breaks.et al. However, the lads’ lives should be risked controlled, not controlled, period, for control sake. We should always be prepared to let them out to sea.
We should be less their harbours and more their light houses.....'
Paddy Holdcroft, 25.07.2025
