Another guest Headblog from our very own Angus Robinson!
I was having dinner with the technical director of a business I know.
He’s very quiet, shy, and dare I say, somewhat geeky.
The conversation did not flow.
His shyness was proving difficult to break through.
All I could do is ask questions.
“What do you do outside work?” I asked
“I hill walk”
“Where do you hill walk?”
“Often just about here”
“Do you climb as well?”
“Sometimes”
“Where’s the most challenging place you’ve been?”
“Mont Blanc”
“Wow! What was that like?”
“There was a storm, I had to dig a snow hole”
“That’s incredible, how long did you stay in it?”
“All night and part of the following day”
“What? That’s remarkable! Were other people caught up in this?”
“Yes, 5 people died”
I was speechless.
Once again, I discovered you should never judge as you never know.
This shy, quiet, retiring person emerged from the background to be someone who is remarkable, dignified, brave and modest. The stilted conversation revealed things I would never have guessed or known.
The mental health challenge from last week’s Headblog was to do something different (“vary that commute, subvert your morning, try a fancy teabag …”).
So here’s my challenge:
There’s a remarkable story in every person. Sharing these inspires, it strengthens our mental health, builds resilience, toughness , and respect – both for the person learning and the person telling.
Broaden your mind – get curious and make the effort with somebody who is the quiet person, the person in the background that you don’t know. Discover the remarkable person that exists underneath.
It might take some time and effort, it might stretch you both and be uncomfortable.
It might also just make the day for both of you.
“We have mental health,” even when climbing on Mont Blanc
Tell us your stories … let us know who you’ve met and how those mind broadening conversations went.
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