For Part 2 of this blog about being in denial and not knowing when to quit at something, I wanted to continue the conversation by using another well known historical figure who refused to give up his position at an old age.
…
I am of course referring to the lion himself, Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965), one of the rare individuals who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice. But, it was during his second time that he began to be in denial about his health and even though he did eventually resign, it wasn’t without struggle.
Now, don’t get me wrong, Sir Winston is a legendary figure in world history having led the United Kingdom through the Second World War. But there is a point where we have to put our health first and foremost because otherwise, it will affect our ability to live daily healthy lives.
…
Not too long ago, I was watching Season 1 of Netflix’s “The Crown,” on DVD and I couldn’t help but notice that there was growing demand for Sir Winston because of his age, even though he refused to step down to these demands.
It makes me wonder that as a neurodiverse/disabled individual, was Sir Winston an example of someone putting on a mask to hide their real feelings?
This is something that we are seeing a lot of in the neurodiversity/disability communities, given the fact that neurodiverse minds work far differently from neurotypical minds. We are often too afraid to let others see our true feelings of letting go, so we mask our feelings just like Sir Winston did.
On a Season 1 episode of “The Crown,” there was a great fog that came over the United Kingdom and it was not until after one of Sir Winston’s secretaries is killed by a double decker bus does Sir Winston finally take off the mask and accept the situation for what it was. Maybe the fog was a sign from God that until Sir Winston accepted his own mortality, he would encounter situations like this.
…
Now, Sir Winston came from a different era in history, but he should serve as an overall example of knowing when it is time to quit before it’s too late, especially to today’s generation. In my day job at Stop & Shop, I have seen plenty of individuals seemingly married to their jobs, putting their job priorities over their own health and well-being, going bananas when higher ups come to pay a visit whereas I accept them for what they are.
Even though I considered long ago to go full time and grow my role at my day job, I am glad I didn’t because not only was it unhealthy, but it would also give me the inability to run “Going the Distance” let alone found it in the first place. Maybe these individuals have a good reason to go full time, but they are putting their own health at risk for a job that is easily replaceable.
Being part time allows me to have a life and follow my true passion of being a self-advocate and public speaker. But it’s knowing when you need to step back from something that isn’t working for you that you just don’t see that can make all the difference. I’ve been down this road plenty of times, being in denial from things that don’t work and vices that were hard to get rid of.
It’s a fact of life, but it’s an important fact of life: that we have to sometimes face reality outside of our own personal worlds, whether we like it or not just like a famous politician like Sir Winston Churchill or a first ballot NFL hall of famer like Tom Brady.
…
Catch you all later!!
Comments