Listen Up - Social Welfare Portal

listenup!A young person’s story | 03‘Butterfly Soup’:A young person’s storyStreetwise. A big black door. A door so big, words can’t describe.In hindsight, how my legs carried me there after the rejectionsI had hitherto experienced is bewildering. My nerves werejumping, jangling, rattling and I felt certain that my heart wasbeating visibly, pounding for all to see.One word: terrified. I was literally terrified. I had already made a bargain with myself;sure, I’d come to Streetwise, I’d give it a crack on the condition that with the first sign ofcondescension, my legs would carry me out of there as quickly as they had carried mein – seemed fair enough. I’m no quitter, but the truth is, I’d expected negativity – thatwas the sole reason for the butterflies which had hatched in the darkness of my stomachand were now fluttering their way up my oesophagus. I swallowed them back as mycounsellor approached. The smile I gave was a smile of genuine relief – she looked normal– not a double knit sweater in sight – nor did she look pained on meeting me, a look somany health professionals, I have since learned, reserve for the young (I suspect it is cast instone in their handbook).Where would I begin and where would I end in describing the huge, gaping contrastbetween my previous experience and that of Streetwise? The most significant thing is thesimple fact that I was heard. I have also since learned that there is a distinct and crucialdifference between listening and hearing. Not only was I heard, but I was heard for awhole hour, week in, week out. My counsellor never tired of me, never judged me, andnever criticised me. I talked and talked until my words ran dry, until there was nothing leftto say, until I felt relief. Words fail me as I strive to describe the relief.I had been drowning in emotion and scared completely numb. Life had seemed terrifyingand threatening. Through Streetwise, I learned that I can be strong and I can deal withwhat life has thrown at me – maybe not always with a smile, but Rome wasn’t built in aday and I’m no architect either! I am, at last, slowly getting there. I am certain that withoutStreetwise, I would be in a very different place right now. I would undoubtedly have givenup, given in and become statistically forgettable, immortalised in a replaceable yearly poll.Written by Nicola, a young person who attended Streetwise in Newcastle