Be Bold, Take Courage and Carry On.

Time to read: 3 Minutes

Be Bold, Take Courage and Carry On.

Hello, my name is Hilary Evans. David and I met recently in Liverpool – Naked Leader work with NHS Blood and Transplant Tissue and Eye Services.

I am mum to a lovely boy called Ethan, 10. He is a wonderful child, and we count ourselves incredibly lucky to be his parents. Ethan’s world is fraught with anxiety and uncertainty due to some social and communication difficulties.

Currently our task is to build his emotional resilience, and practice coping strategies that will help him through each day. He is a mild mannered, curious boy, who is ordered in everything he is able to control. This period of social and educational conformity is arduous for him, but he will make it. We have no concerns about Ethan later in life, because we have no doubt that he will design a wonderful life full of meaning and interest, his world by choice will be uncluttered, and he will never get caught in any kind of humdrum.

Ethan recently failed an entrance exam for a place at a local grammar school next September, the following piece of work reflects his true ability, and we have included it along with two other pieces to the Appeals Board.

Context: Ethan’s remit in Creative Writing class was to write a short piece describing the devastation of a town following an explosion. What he wrote demonstrates to me that although he struggles with his communication somewhere in his head is this amazing knowledge, intelligence and social understanding:

Name: Ethan

I breathed easily into a calm sleep, just a few hours before. The cruel noise had jolted me, the windows had shattered, and I covered my ears to block the noise. Now there is no noise, the birds have gone and the sky is quiet. I stand with my friend and stare stunned, my street is demolished, I limp forwards and feel crumbling beneath my feet, the rubble moves.

The street looks like it has had the life sucked out of it. No bright colours, no lights, no people drinking tea in the cafes, no happiness. The colour in my t-shirt is now the only thing that says it is still summer. A blanket of dust disguises the broken concrete, and chokes at my throat. For a moment, I feel like I am lost, I do not remember this place. My street is gone, I feel anxious, angry and alone.

Great! – Amazing Writing (Teacher)

A failed exam, a bad interview or missed opportunity does not define us, it represents a moment in time, that’s all, a moment in time. Life can be hard, but nothing is insurmountable. Be bold, take courage, and carry on.

Thank you for reading

Hils

X