When you believe in something and you have decided to go for it, you are embarking on a journey full of traps: things that attract your attention, want to absorb your energy, look really attractive – if you fell for them, they would ultimately mean the end of what you stand for.
Sports people know this: they have to be careful with what they eat or drink, and late nights out on the town, no matter how attractive the ice cream, the cold refreshing beer, and the good looking boys and girls are.
There are plenty of traps on the way to An Saol. Why not look after Pádraig first and foremost and exclusively, it surely absorbs all of our energy? Why not follow the example of most of the other parents we’ve met? What about all the plans of all the people in all the enterprises and organisations promising care and therapy and rehabilitation? Convince them to do something! Fight the health system! We deserve better!
These are all attractive and reasonable questions and beliefs. In the context of An Saol, however, they are traps. If we fell for them, they would distract and they would absorb all our energy, make us helpless and dependent victims.
Which we are not because we are Dreamboaters. We know about all the stuff going on around us. We know about “keeping all our options open”, “not rocking the boat”, “working the system”. We know that the options are dire, the boat is sinking and the system is broken. We know that we need to create an inspiring example of what can be done for persons whose life changed beyond recognition from one second to the next.
Because that is what you do in a civilised society. The right thing.
The way to the realisation of the An Saol Project is full of traps. But we will sail down that stream with all those Dreamboaters ready to join. We won’t get trapped.
Pádraig is keeping well and showing very small but definite signs of better keeping his posture. I can’t believe that it’ll only be another two days before we leave here on Thursday. Tomorrow, I’ll meet a new friend and an old friend and together we’ll be going to the Therapiezentrum Burgau to interview and film Prof. Andreas Bender. This will be the beginning of about two weeks of interviews and filming for the An Saol Project – documenting what needs to be done.
Hospi-Tales 
It is very hard to push against the tide all the time but do you know what when you do things sometimes get a bit better!! Having had a great experiene in Germany I have come back to the problem of ‘support workers’ at the moment there are none. Having waited since last October, lots of interviews, questions etc the person chosen for Emz was totally and utterly unsuitable and incompatible……..so au revoir,, on your bike, off you go…….and do you know what ……..although it was upsetting it is our decision and it is yet again the right one……..don’t ever let anyone tell you what you are doing is wrong ………you are a dreamboater and pushing against the tide!
Tide? What tide? It’s all downstream, Hillary! Glad to have you on board:)
I so admire you Pádraig and all the family as you are all certainly riding the waves of life in the Dreamboat. The highs and lows come(crests of waves) and you all show incredible resilience. I am sure Pádraig you cannot wait to get back into the swimming pool.In leading An Saol project Reinhard ,you are giving so much and in turn helping and serving all the community. As you give of yourself constantly I pray your health stays well as the wider community will benefit from this inspiring group. Go n-eirí leat freisin leis an marathon agus an treanáil.
Those are the ups and downs of life, Norma, we all know so much about. And the older you get the choppier the waves become. You are part of this amazing group you’re writing about and it wouldn’t exist without you! The likes of us need to stay healthy and grow old believing in what we want to achieve.