Leave of Absence - the book!

Read about what Tanya has to say about her fabulous new book 'Leave of Absence'
#therapy #schizophrenia #mentalillness #life #inspiration #ptsd
HERE!

O... is for Old Man of Storr!

At 719 m, the Old man is the highest point of the Trotternish Peninsula on the Isle of Skye. An old man and his wife, that lived close to the foot of the hill climbed up everyday and when they reached the summit, they told stories to the faeries. They told great lovely stories and the wee folk loved them! This went on for years and years until every fairy in the fairy land came to listen to their stories every evening.
Then one day, the Old man announced that this was his last visit to the top because he was old, his knees weren't so good anymore and he needed rest. The faeries were very sad, they pleaded, but he couldn't have done anything about it. That evening, the Old Man and his wife stayed longer. It was pitch dark by the time they began their descent. The nasty faeries, however, are very nasty. They did not share the love that the good faeries had for the old couple. And they charmed them! As the man and his wife began walking, they slowly turned to stone...
To this day, the Old Man of Storr stands tall and proud. His wife stood beside him for many many years; but in the late 19th century, her knees finally gave way and she crumbled.

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This post is part of the ongoing A-to-Z Challenge. Previously, Aye, Berwick, Cramond, Disability, Edinburgh, Forth Bridge, Glasgow, Hamish, Isle of Skye, John o' Groats, Kirk, Loch Lomond and Luss, Mogwai, Necropolis.

D... is for Disability

I've travelled a lot around India, and if you have any idea of India, then you'll believe me when I say, very little surprises me. One of the most stark things that stared me in the face when I came to Scotland was, disability. So many people, both young and old, rich and poor, native and foreign origin, seemed to be disabled. What on earth was going on? And why? I wondered for a few weeks... I thought on the lines of genetic factors, social and environmental factors, and various other things before the answer hit me.
It wasn't at all that more people were disabled here; it was that I ran into more disabled people, because they were out and about. They were in buses, on the streets, in the supermarkets, at cafes. They were in castles and cathedrals, shops and cinemas, and they were leading normal lives. This realisation was a harsh one... for in India, the disabled are hidden away and cloistered, most building still don't have access for disabled people...
I like that the Government here helps people. It is kind. It is on the rest of us.
I took this picture on a bus, by stealth, because he looked like a pukka Scot, had quite a fiesty personality :)
and was on a motorised wheelchair (which went vroom vroom!). He nodded off to sleep, the darling man...

Update: I have since found out that this is Tom Gilzean, do read about him here. What a man!

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This post is part of the ongoing A-to-Z Challenge. Previously, Aye, Berwick, Cramond.