DRAMA LAST NIGHT IN PENNSYLVANIA AND IT ALWAYS IMPRESSES ME HOW BBC RADIO 5 IS ON THE BALL WITH REPORTERS IMMEDIATELY THERE GIVING AN EYE WITNESS REPORT AND PENTY OF EXPERTS TO GIVE OPINIONS. STEPHEN NOLAN HELD IT ALL TOGETHER AS THE NEWS UNFOLDED. DONALD TRUMP SURVIVED HIS ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT BUT IT WAS CLOSE.
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A GENTLE MAN WITH A POWERFUL MESSAGE
“95% of young farmers in the UK say poor mental health is the biggest hidden danger in the industry. If you agree give me a hug or take a flower.”
Not me saying this but a 22 year old student at Harper Adams University in Shropshire where he is studying agriculture, food production and technology as he prepares to manage his family’s small holding in County Antrim, mainly growing a variety of grasses. It’s his passion but he has another commitment which is so very close to his heart.
Daniel Boomer is part of an experimental recording which has gone viral, 3 million plays and counting, all over the world people are learning that young farmers suffer extreme mental health issues and many can’t come to terms and end up taking their own lives. As the university’s Farm Safety Ambassador Daniel is getting the message across in a powerful way, a 90 second video taken at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show shows him standing in his yellow wellies holding his sign, blindfold, with a bunch of yellow roses at his feet. There is a stream of people waiting to have an embrace.
A Hug From The Heart
One elderly lady says; “You’ll have to come down a bit darling, you’re too tall for me!” Daniel is indeed tall, 6’ 8” and as he bends to hug her his charming smile is just visible below the blindfold. A man hugs him saying “I know what it’s like mate” and moves on it seems with some relief that he has made contact with someone who understands. Another woman tells Daniel “Nothing in this world that’s too big than you can face it cause you’re strong”. There were those who confided that a member of their family had taken their own life, he had a kind and encouraging word for them all. On a cold day last November over 200 people stopped to engage in what he describes as a time which was raw with emotion but warmed him such was the reaction.
Heartbreak
Daniel has lost several friends to suicide and has struggled with his own mental health, diagnosed with autism when he was a child he has learned how to manage the condition, however he has had his demons to the extent that he thought of taking his own life, it was close but he stopped long enough to rationalise the effect of his actions. It has left him with a deep understanding and strong desire to help others, he is a remarkable.
“Last year I lost a good mate and it was devastating, what could he have done to escape what he was experiencing? There’s always a gateway to open, it won’t take away the problems but realising how to deal with them is important, how to look for the triggers. There are dangers and pressures all round especially on the farm, climate change, finance, accidents and emotions. Although I find it very challenging talking to someone about their problems, I believe it’s important to have a network, not on social media but friends meeting and talking.”
When I spoke to this engaging young man he was baling straw, preparing it for travelling back to farms in Northern Ireland, last autumn working 120 hours in a week he personally prepared 12.500 large bales with his hi tech machinery.
Daniel Boomer left me with the thought: “Mental health needs more sunlight, more honesty and more conversations. Mind your head.”
Please watch Daniel’s video – ‘yellow wellies social experiment’ on Facebook.
Special Education Day
Thankfully menopause is now talked about out loud, used to be whispered, ‘the change of life’. I recall my mother arriving at the door looking distressed “I feel awful, I’d think it’s the change but it couldn’t be because I have no hormones.” That’s how misunderstood this natural progression in a woman’s life – with some elements in a man’s life too – used to be. Now it’s easier to get information and to talk to sympathetic professionals. But where do they get their information?
As a practice nurse Liz Wenden-Kerr set up the first menopause cafe in Belfast where women could chat to each other, compare notes and get information and she has lobbied government for support, not very successfully, however she hasn’t given up and next Thursday 18th July 2024 she launches an online course for those working on the subject. “Although the government’s response was neither positive nor surprising, there’s one great outcome,” she reports, “I have developed a free CPD accredited menopause course in conjunction with Dr Vikram Talaulikar. We will be delivering this online on Thursday, it’s accessible to practice nurses north and south of the border.”
More at Fundamentals of Menopause for Practice Nurses Tickets, Thu, Jul 18, 2024 at 9:15 AM | Eventbrite
FOOTIE
So tonight’s the night – the finals of the overlong football championships. I hope the young men playing in Berlin will do well, I am not a football follower however I do feel the manager and his team have received a lot of snide and downbeat comments. I feel sorry for them, some only in their 20s with all the hope in their hearts, and it must have been difficult. I usually champion the press but on this occasion I find them wanting and if the team wins tomorrow the whole negative atmosphere will suddenly turn positive and they’ll be the toast of the town. I won’t actually be watching, I’m devoting my energies to Wimbledon and the men’s finals. However, much more important is the news that Ireland won the rugby against South Africa they actually will bring it home.
Seems to me it’s an awful shame that Belfast is looking like a building site at the moment. Outside the Opera House the road is being dug up and the noise of drilling is awful. Not far away outside the Waterfront complex is festooned with orange barriers and pipes. The road is being dug up to lay the pipes and although I’m sure an efficient operation, it’s a shame that this is the view presented to all our visitors, not great timing. Tourism is at its height and our city should be looking lovely and inviting but it’s at an all time low in recent years, depressing grey grills covering shop fronts as businesses can’t survive the down turn in the economy.
Thoughtlessness
I’ve been watching the tennis and one thing bugs me. If you are listening and not glued to the screen all the time it’s irritating when there’s an appeal as to a ball being in or out. The picture shows the result but the umpire doesn’t announced the result so you don’t know immediately what the answer is.
Couple of comments from Sunday Blog friends. Here’s Houston’s take on it.
“Welcome to the world of the disabled viewer and listener!
As someone who has spent the last lot of years campaigning for inclusion of a disabled people in all walks of life, I can confirm this is a regular complaint.
Have you been aware of the latest blow committed by local BBC? For years there has always been subtitled local news headlines on the lunchtime news for local Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. When BBC last month introduced the new look lunchtime news they have scrapped the local signed news headlines.
Signed news headlines is available on line through iplayer but a lot of elderly deaf people do not use the Internet. One more blow dealt by the BBC in their latest ‘rationalisation ‘.
One cost cutting exercise they have instigated does have an effect on Deaf and hard of hearing people. To save employing speech to text interpreters they now are using AI software that translates speech into text for subtitles. It means we get gobble de gook subtitles plus AI doesn’t take into account that Deaf people don’t use direct word for word translation in their language.
It’s little wonder sight and hearing impaired people often feel like they are an after thought as far as BBC is concerned.”
Brian says: “I am the other way round Anne. Nearly deaf. I can see but not hear. So eating a meal means I can’t read the subtitles. Therefore crime dramas at dinner time are out for me cos I miss the vital part as I am too busy looking at my Bacon. Sausages. Pork (Delete as required)”
“I have the subtitles up – useful as there’s a significant delay in what’s said and what goes up on the caption generator- sort of gives you a chance to catch up ?” from Maria
