You Can Break Free!

That holly tree is still there.
Well, it was two years ago, when I visited All Saints Pastoral Centre.

The holly tree which skinned my knees,
tore at my elbows…
drew blood from my face…
And was perfectly placed to hold the end of my 50 foot aerial.

It was how we built our own radios ‘in the olden days’.
Especially at the children’s home I grew up in.

A small crystal diode.
An army surplus headset.
The centre of a toilet roll (don’t ask).
And loads and loads of old, coated electric wire.

Perfect for picking up the squeaks and squeals of the early days of Pirate Radio.
Or the good old BBC.

We invented things then.
We had to.
Toys were for “Rich Kids”

What’s more… we believed we could do whatever came into our young minds.
In that 70 acres we temporarily called “Home”…
Very little was beyond our imagination.

Then I became an adult.
And – somewhere along the way – I lost the ability to cast the magic.
To plot and play with pixies.

The world began its schooling of me; in what I could – and couldn’t – do.
The world taught me how to squeeze – and rationalise – The Almost Possible… clean out of my system.

Work these hours.
Be available for client work on these days.
Only have fun on these evenings.
Squeeze in precious days to relax and dream and play.
And call them “Weekends” and “Holidays”.

Until, I’m informed, “60% of adults find the task of thinking differently… uncomfortable.
Some even find it exhausting.”

Then I interview a hugely effective Operations Director.
Who simply refuses to perform that role beyond 4 days each week.
No exceptions. No excuses.
She just does it!

I swing into a conversation with a Managing Director.
Someone who is frustrated when The World of Covid interrupts his next ‘Impossible’ project.
Because, he’s never stopped believing he could make ‘Impossible’ happen regularly.

Or the leader who changes children’s lives…
By running marathons.

We are the Leaders, you know.
We can take the lid off the dreams.
We can remove the limitations imposed by others.

We can determine, every week, to think and behave differently to the ‘norm’.
We can reshape the world.
Without permission.

We did when we were very young.
We can learn to do so again.