My puffin brought me breakfast in bed the other day. Well to be specific he tossed a stale bread crust at the entrance to my kennel but it still counts.
"Enjoy that," he said expansively, "and if you're good I'll change your straw and empty your bucket."
Rubbing the sleep (and various other things) out of my eyes I somewhat nervously enquired as to what the special occasion might be.
"October is mental health month," was the reply. "I know that has a special resonance for you."
"Why do you think that?"
"You're talking to a stuffed plush toy."
That was pretty unarguable so I got up and made myself breakfast. On the way I passed my puffin sitting harmlessly on the bookshelf. I kept an eye on him in case he made a lunge for me while my back was turned.
It is true, October is indeed mental health month. The other eleven months of the year you can be as crazy as you like but apparently in October you're supposed to do something about it, or at least acknowledge it, or at the very least not write blog entries detailing an imaginary relationship with a toy puffin. The intention is to destigamtise mental health issues and assist those who might be struggling. I know all this because my employer's Chief Executive Partner sent an email to the entire staff announcing the same. I've got to admit that concerned me a lot. Why is he sending it to us? Is he implying that we may be less than completely sane? He might as well have started the email by saying "Greetings nutjobs!"
Eventually I decided that it was unlikely that our Chief Executive Partner believed that the entire staff were hopelessly insane (although it would explain the hiring practice that recruited me) and that I was being unjustifiably paranoid. After all it wasn't as though he knew that I spent my off duty hours in a spiral of puffin themed depravity and substance abuse. Although to be on the safe side I've decided to stop sending him links to my blog. That might also help with the restraining order.
Keen to inform myself (and flesh out this blog entry beyond a couple of semi coherent paragraphs) I hopped onto the state government website touting this annual interest in our psychological wellbeing. The website informed me that Mental Health Month is celebrated (is "celebrated" the right word? I'm sane! Yay!) as a way of prompting everyone to think about mental health whether they're having any issues with it or not. I suppose that's a good idea although it has to be admitted when I start thinking about my mental health I tend to begin quite positively and by the end of it I'm curled up in a foetal position moaning inarticulately. To be fair that's how I finish up most days anyway. If it wasn't for my emotional support puffin I don't know where I'd be.
The theme for Mental Health Month is "Tune In" which helps to make awareness of mental issues sound rather like being a ham radio operator. Speaking of mental health issues. There was a whole page on the website explaining what "Tune In" meant. Basically it meant "pay attention". For at least one month out of twelve you're supposed to at least try and listen to what you're saying and thinking and what others are saying and thinking around you. I don't think that's a bad idea I just think they're being a little optimistic. I tend to stop listening to myself after five minutes and if anyone else is speaking I only realise they've stopped when the silence becomes noticeably awkward.
Nevertheless for the next few weeks I shall make a concerted effort to pay more attention both to myself and others. It might be revelatory, my puffin certainly thinks so which is why he has already placed everything in the apartment which can hold an edge on the top shelf. I'm currently attempting to chop vegetables with a tea strainer.
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