John had

Great Big
Waterproof
Boots on;
John had a
Great Big 
Waterproof
Hat;
John had a
Great Big
Waterproof
Mackintosh --
And that
(Said John)
Is
That. 

'Happiness' by A.A. Milne & 'When I was six'  by A.A. Milne, in decades - or epochs?

When I was One                                                                     I had just begun.

When I was Two                                                                    I was nearly new

When I was Three                                                                 I was hardly Me

When I was Four                                                                   I was not much more

When I was Five                                                                    I was just alive

But now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever.                                 So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever

Serendipity or synchronicity? My sixties stride serendipitously, seemlessly, soaring, skidding, slipping.. AARRGH... enough alliteration, on with an almost rantless blog... by the way, I am not clever :-((
My Mental Health Issues are my focus at the moment... and the BBC's... a psychiatrist's... a psychologist's... some trainee G.P.s... my G.P.... and last but very much not least 3 wilderness therapy groups ( should the group name for wilderness' by an orgy? Try saying it out loud - " An orgy of wilderness' " - it reverberates round my mind... but back to the BBC etc..

I was head down bug hunting amongst the dying runner beans when Matt, my manager at Feed Bristol, said " here's Helen from BBC radio; she's going to interview you now for Countrywise ". Putting down my bugs (I didn't know whether she was a country girl or not) I turned to find a live furry microphone in my face. I knew the BBC was on site but thought I would be the last person they would want to interview; I have little recollection of what I said but remember eulogising about nature, plants, wilderness' and their impact on mood, especially depression.

Early March last year was when I was attempting suicide - literally: I had put my affairs in order, worked out a couple of likely methods, cleaned the flat but -  told no one; it was not a cry for help! My lovely 70 year old psychotherapist, Bob, has said I had survived despite having been, at the time, the most depressed person he has ever spoken to; he should know, he's has been a volunteer on The Samaritan's suicide line for 12 years so probably knows more about such things than most.  Anyway, back to the BBC and why I support outdoor therapy.

The BBC Countrywise team were at Feed Bristol as we are a 'community focused' wildlife friendly organic food growing urban site; allegedly it is a coincidence that a number of enviromental activists, Rising up, are living up our trees to prevent the council tarmacing over our wildflower meadow and the adjoining alltments.  I was at Feed Bristol as part of my personal, self directed therapy.

My 'wilderness' & 'gardening' therapy eulogising has not gone unnoticed.  Bob introduced me to a local forest and it's guides at Westonbirt National Arboretum last year as part an Over 50's group (part of the Bristol Drugs Project) visits.  Their approach uses the John Muir Trust's award scheme to structure wilderness therapy, which neatly ties into Feed Bristol's wildlife and food growing therapy which raggedly ties into All Aboard's water based therapy.

Furthermore (keep up... keep up , I know it's a lot but I'm not incoherently rambling... much) I met Dr Alan K through Feed Bristol who is going to use me as an exemplar at a G.P. holistic lecture. He's a psychiatrist previously specialising in Learning Difficulties but now promoting and treating through nature therapy etc. usually in Leigh Woods, another local treasure, for grief and PTS issues.

Lots going on, all long term projects with no funding so all voluntary, no job prospects for at least a year and then part time so today's conundrum is a. take a job that will put me back in the dark places or b. hang on accepting my benefits will be cut to £35 a week in May but might be able to hustle a liitle paid work.

Realistically I'm just too old for confusing dichotomies, hurricanes deep sea I understand, petty politics and fiefdoms I don't.  If something works, proven in other countries, just do it - by the way it's cheaper per month than the prescription meds I should have been taking for the last year and would be on for the rest of my life. Serendipity or synchronicity?

That's all folks, fair winds and following seas, may your gods be with you, J