…but in regaining my mental balance I may have lost the ability to not hear. I certainly had to listen when the article I had started on this topic went elsewhere on me. I had to write the article that demanded expression and then had to go back to express the original thought/point I had wanted to make. These days, even if it is something I feel is wrong, if it is from a source that could be correct I have to consult trusted advisors. Sometimes I would rather not listen/think about what was said and try to ignore what was said – but these days ignoring what I do not want to hear seems impossible.

I was sitting in Compassion Park discussing the difficulties some of the homeless would face in transitioning off the streets. The other party in the discussion commented that I could have some trouble myself. Me? Ha! No way! We carried on our discussion, but try as I might I had hear/listened to the question which now sat at the back of my mind. In me this is where thoughts sit to ferment.

The upshot was that I could see that as much as I would like to ignore it there was a possibility that I would have trouble adjusting to indoor life again. So rather than bury my head in the sand I began to consider what I should do. From this came a plan that should enable a smooth transition.

The point is that because I could not listen, I had to think about the matter. In doing this and coming up with a transition plan to address possible problems, I hope to have ensured that transition from the streets and homelessness should not rise up and bite my a*s. Significantly reducing the chance of failure and a return to the streets.

If we all had to listen, we would all be forced to think about not only what we wanted to hear, but about the though questions, issues and decisions. Being forced to think about things our decision-making would improve. Of course then we would have to accept responsibility for what the outcome of our decisions – without having the recourse of blaming someone else.