In a time where everyone seems disconnected by technology, today, I want to talk about looking out for your neighbour.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Ian Hill at the Lloyd Ex on Monday night to talk about the presentation he was preparing to give to close to 400 Border City and area residents.
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Hill was in town as part of an Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies mental-health initiative called Empowering Minds.
The provincewide tour focuses on rural communities in Alberta and helping everyday people become what’s known as First Identifiers.
The idea is simple: tackle mental-health challenges with courage, care and local leadership. Hill’s presentation helped attendees identify signs of mental-health struggles in an effort to bring the community closer.
I won’t get too much into the details here because the first two pages of the Meridian Source’s Nov. 20 paper cover much of the same material. I will say, however, that the conversation Hill and I shared moved me in a profound way. That, dear reader, is what I’d like to share this week.
As soon as I identified myself as a member of the media, Hill smiled and we found a place to sit. My first question was fairly broad and centred on the purpose of the evening’s presentation. He got right into it without missing a beat.
Throughout our 25-minute conversation, Hill opened up about his own mental-health struggles and described the journey as a daily battle. “If I don’t look after myself every day, I hurt people,” he said, before continuing to explain the power we, as community members, have to help those close to us. That statement struck a chord.
For most of my adult life, the gym has been my escape — a place to clear my head and leave the stresses of the day behind.
The mental-health benefits of regular exercise became very apparent to me during COVID; for me, a workout a day kept the struggles away.
Over the past year or so, I haven’t been as dedicated to my once-regular routine, and I’ve been feeling it. I was more stressed and anxious, for what felt like no particular reason.
I felt I wasn’t as much fun to be around at work or at home. I wasn’t my usually happy self.
Since returning from holidays in late October, I’ve been back at it. My regular workouts are back in my routine and I’m making an effort to eat cleaner. This combination, I feel, has helped me get closer to my old self.
Hill’s passion and calm demeanour inspired me to share these thoughts in the hope it encourages others to take a breath and think, “How can I make someone’s day a bit better and help someone if they’re struggling?”
We’re all in this crazy thing called life together, and history has proven life’s better when we look after those close to us. Smile at a stranger on the street. Reach out to loved ones and make sure they’re OK. You don’t know what they’re going through until you ask.
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