I have just spent a day training as a Samaritan volunteer
And I am all "active listened" out.
I have been non judgemental, balanced and incredibly objective
I have used open questions,
Utilised appropriate pauses and
Shown people respect, patience and time...
And on the way home I was cut up by a red Toyota driven by a ten year old youth at Rhuddlan Roundabout and yelled a lusty bellow of "WANKER!" Out of the Berlingo window as he weaved into the distance
Hey ho
And I am all "active listened" out.
I have been non judgemental, balanced and incredibly objective
I have used open questions,
Utilised appropriate pauses and
Shown people respect, patience and time...
And on the way home I was cut up by a red Toyota driven by a ten year old youth at Rhuddlan Roundabout and yelled a lusty bellow of "WANKER!" Out of the Berlingo window as he weaved into the distance
Hey ho
A mild rebuke, you could have said worse.
ReplyDeletewell, is it true?
ReplyDeleteA very youthful looking ten year old. Ah yes, reflective statements and confirmation. A gentle pause...and now I wish you a continued sunny weekend :)
ReplyDeleteI agree WANKER is quite tame...so well done John and a quite appropriate response to someone who obviously must sometimes drive here in Florida :)
ReplyDeleteThe driver of the red Toyota will probably be on the phone to The Samaritans - explaining that he feels suicidal now that his most private secret is out..."I have no idea how the guy in the Berlingo knew!"
ReplyDeleteYP
DeleteApparentl.y he wrote on his blog that he nearly side swiped an old tramp driving a tank in Rhuddlan
do you ever have normal days?! hehe!
ReplyDeleteOnce.....in 2003
DeleteThat is truly funny. Haven't, though, you got enough on your plate without handling late-night calls from potential suicides? If Pope John-Paul gets to become a Saint because of some hearsay evdience by a woman from Costa Rica, then you should not trouble at all whilst you are still alive. Convert now.
ReplyDelete'evidence' 'have no' Please insert into the above.
DeleteGreat praise indeed thomas
Deletelol that's all.
ReplyDeletePositively tame for you, the training must be working already :-)
ReplyDeleteYes.. I did stop e urge to ram him
DeleteHA! Good for you!
ReplyDeletethe yin and the yang
ReplyDeleteHypocrite.
ReplyDeleteSusie" out with anger in with love"
DeleteHa. Was that today's Samaritan chant?
DeleteWhen aall policemen, teachers and drivers of red Toyotas look like ten -year-olds, then ... (fill in the blank)
ReplyDeleteYou sound pretty normal to me...
ReplyDeleteEveryone thinks I'm very nice indeed, but underneath seethes something quite different.
That's my gal
DeleteLoving your wet New York shots
You sound quite normal to me. In this heat there's no telling what could of happened. Keep up the good work .
ReplyDeleteRosezeerta
I'd have had the little bastard in my Audi Q7 so I suppose that rules me out of the Samaritans then.....
ReplyDeleteJo xx
Where on earth do you find the time?!
ReplyDeletehe wrote Wanker. Hahaha!
ReplyDeleteOO! I registered with Samaritans a few weeks ago and am currently awaiting my training thingie! I nearly got totalled on a pedestrian crossing the other day - there's a lot of wankers about!!
ReplyDeleteYour understanding nature knows no bounds
ReplyDeleteI bet that lusty bellow included a whole day's worth of emotional frustration at having to be continuously non-judgmental, balanced and objective! I bet you felt a lot better afterwards....
ReplyDeleteMy mum used to be a Samaritans volunteer, and in those days you weren't supposed to tell anyone (except your immediate family) in case someone calling the Samaritans identified you.
You can say now nick...just not disclose anything
DeleteYou sound like a well balanced man!
ReplyDeleteEls
I am always falling over els
DeleteSound like the training in both organisations (Lifeline and the Samaritans) is closely matched. Though 'how did that make you feel' is one that I think it unsafe. And often unnecessary if you have been really listening. I suspect it would make me ballistic with rage if I rang up, told someone my concerns (ranted basically) and then got asked how I was feeling. 'Haven't you beeen fucking listening?'
ReplyDeleteI was stereotyping with that phrase
ReplyDelete.....just a little x
Ah, John. *hugs* It has to get better, right? It was just a test. ;-)
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Sunday. ♥
If you can't tell it like it is...what's the point?
ReplyDeleteJane x
Whew, all that smiling and biting your tongue can be damned exhausting.
ReplyDeleteRemember Human League? 'I'm only human....of flesh and blood I'm made...born to make mistakes' Well you display your humanity all the time John.....normal decent bloke attitudes and behaviours.....a caring chap too...so don't ever beat yourself up....just 'ho-hum' and move on!x
ReplyDeleteI began training as a Samaritan many years ago but they suggested I "probably wasn't really cut out not to be blunt"
ReplyDeleteCall me what you like, John.
ReplyDeleteNow you know why I'd never phone the Samaritans. Who wants to add to another person's burden? Incite meaningful pauses? Forcing someone to be non judgmental and knowingly add to the listener's torture trying to be balanced and incredibly objective, thinking of the next 'open question' though you already have the answer?
Greetings to Saint Francis the saviour of flock bleeting round the raspberry bushes,
U