The battle outside ragin’ will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls for the times they are a-changin’.
Bob Dylan

Pádraig was really happy yesterday to see Christiane on a video WhatsApp call from Augsburg where I, with Pádraig as a virtual co-presenter, was to present to the annual meeting of the neurorehabilitation societies of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, attended by 900 practitioners and researchers.

They had invited us to share with them the story of the An Saol Foundation. Although Pádraig couldn’t come in person, he was present there more than anybody else.

To my surprise, the room was packed, with people standing at the back and sitting on the floor. Many talked to me afterwards and wanted to find out more.

Looks like the example is making waves.

With the Congress, there was an industry exhibition where I made a few good connections and discovered a few new, interesting pieces of equipment of great potential for An Saol.

There was a young man looking in from the outside to one of the talks. He attracted more interest than most of the speakers. And there was the famous portrait of “Che” by Irishman Jim Fitzpatrick – at a stand at a small Christmas market we visited on one of the evenings.

I attended dozens of talks. It was clear that we all know what needs to be done. But it was also confirmed that few of us are doing what needs to be done. Few who are prepared to rattle the cage and rock the boat.

There was another thing I learnt: there are two famous John Krakauers in the world. One is the author of “Into the Wild” and other books. The other is equally brilliant, not as a writer, but as a neurologist, not afraid of pushing the boundaries and provoke. The world needs more of people like him.

Because too many people see barriers and restrictions wherever they look. Luckily, there are sufficient straight thinking revolutionaries, like the man on the banner at the Christmas Market, who have realised that radical change is necessary and who are prepared to bring about that change.

While preparing our contribution to the congress, I tried to remember how many people had helped us along the way. Their number was surprisingly high. High enough to be heard, seen, and felt. Not at some distant day in the future but now.

They are ready to do what they can to support us. Change is coming.

It’s time to wake up and smell the coffee.

Because the times they are a-changin’.