Thought for today:
 
‘I was much too far out all my life
And not waving but drowning.’
 
— Stevie Smith
 
#thoughtfortoday #notwaving #drowning #sendhelp #psychotherapy #coaching
 
In 1984 I was a theatre sound technician working for The Company of Ten at the Abbey Theatre in St. Albans.
 
As a hobby; my day job was in computer software.
 
One production we put on was “Stevie” about the poet Stevie Smith by Hugh Whitemore.
 
At this time I discovered her poetry and in particular this poem, Not Waving but Drowning.
 
I have two reasons to recall those long-ago events today.
 
The most obvious is that today is the anniversary of the sinking of the White Star Lines Titanic.
 
However, the poem has stayed with me for other reasons and is appropriate to my work today.
 
There are people all around us signalling for help which is easily mistaken for “waving”.
 
Is there someone close to you who appears to be “waving” but is actually drowning in life?
 
Fear of causing embarrassment might cause us to pause; to not enquire.
 
Yet checking in with someone might save a life, or a least help someone in crisis to get support.
 
As lockdown slowly comes to an end in the UK, look for the signs.
 
Not everyone laughing at the party is having a good time.

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