Recently, I went away with a group of mates. These guys know me well and they know what I do for a living. As a group, the usual bravado was present. Plenty of jokes, banter, and ego involved... and I loved every minute of it. And yes, I joined in... fully!
We had a bloody good laugh from beginning to end. No one was being obnoxious; they were just being themselves... weren't they?
I ordered some reasonably sensible food for dinner (fish). They took the piss a bit because I didn’t go for the biggest, meatiest burger thing on the menu. That’s cool.
For breakfast, I chose to order what was called the ‘Healthy Breakfast’. You can imagine the response that got too! The rest of the group went for the ‘Full English’. That’s cool.
Don't get me wrong, I'm no angel, but I have sought to find the balance. At the same time, I might have had a lager... or 2!
My shoulders are broad, I can take the ribbing and believe me, I gave as good as I got. But I also know that my actions had an effect. How?
Individually the guys on the trip were happy to talk to me about eating well, looking after themselves and their mental health, but men still find it difficult to do this in groups. As a group, health issues were discussed, but soon brushed under the carpet and jokes made... ‘another round please barman!”
All of us have lost friends early because they didn’t look after themselves.
All of us have experienced heartbreak and some, even loss.
It’s OK to talk about this stuff boys... just to let you know, my ears are always open!
This won’t change overnight, but I am seeing a shift. Occasionally, conversations within the group touched on a few vulnerabilities. It wasn’t much time though before someone changed the tone with a joke. That’s what tends to happen.... but I am seeing a shift.
If you’d like to shift your perspective, remember, you can talk to me (privately if you wish to).
Onwards & Upwards Brothers 💙
P.S. Talking of piss taking, here's the smallest guy in the group (Paul) with the perfect sized bag of clubs. He may be the smallest, but he has one of the biggest hearts and can take a joke, as well as dish one out. Top Bloke!
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