and I’m enjoying every single
minute of it. I know eventually
it will go completely, because
there’s just too much damage to
my eyes – but I’m not wasting
any of it, I can assure you!
Without family, I wouldn’t
be alive today
My grandmother gave me the
inspiration to pull through and
get my life back on track. She
was both blind and deaf, yet she
cooked, cleaned and raised seven
kids. She would also submit
crochet and knitted pieces into
shows, and would win first prize
every time! Although I was
depressed, all it took to change
my perspective was going to
bed one night thinking about
how amazing she was and that
‘If she could do that in her 60s and
70s, then I can do what I need to
do.’ When I woke up the next
morning, I said to Dearne ‘We
can do this.’ And we’ve done it
ever since.
Through all of it, from the
very beginning, my wife has
been my absolute rock and the
rest of my family has come along
for the ride. Even my grandkids!
They’ve learnt what’s wrong,
what’s happening and how they
can help me. Whenever we go
anywhere, they will take me by
the hand and lead me, telling
me where there’s gutters or
to watch out for a tree or a
branch, for example. Without
them being by my side from
the very beginning, I honestly
would not be alive today.
It’s not just the tremendous
support of my family that has
kept me afloat, but the support
of my work colleagues and
the company, which allowed me
to come back to work. My team
reset the workshop to a point
that I can continue to safely and
efficiently build light machinery,
such as cement mixers. For the
first 12 months or so, my wife
came to the workshop with me,
guiding and talking me through
the different bits
and pieces to help
me get back into
the rhythm
of things.Have the
gumption
to do it
It does take a lot
to stick yourhand up and get going again,
but for me, it was everything.
Absolutely everything. As I said,
I may not be alive... that’s how
important it was for me to get
back into everything as soon as
I could. And, with the support
of loved ones and having the
gumption to get up and do it,
it can be done!
Unfortunately, for a lot of
people, the depression bites when
life gets hard and takes a turn in
a direction you could have never
foreseen. Once it hits, it is very
hard to make that first step to get
out of that dark spiral you find
yourself trapped in. You have to
dig deep within yourself to find
the right frame of mind and that
can-do attitude, to fight for that
first step – otherwise, the
darkness consumes you.
If you look after yourself,
doing as you’re
told – even if
you feel
invincible – and
following the
books (keep
that 12-month
check-up!),
if there are
complicationsNeve
rgive
up