Behind the Mask of Life.

The month of November is often associated with remembering and the older you become, the more memories you store.


 I was particularly moved by a recent photo circulating on  facebook depicting an old man with his shadow demonstrating his youth.

Such a powerful and poignant photo as it allows us to see the person behind the age. The real person behind the mask of advancing years.


Too often we place people in categories such as 'the youth', 'the elderly', 'the middle aged' and we do not stop to think about the actual person.




In this month of remembering, I am reminded of my working years as a health visitor. As part of this role I occasionally visited  'the elderly' who had had full and rich lives but who were incapacitated by age. Behind the mask of age were untold stories of creativity, support and friendships and most had lived lives that were full of meaning and usefulness in society.

I worked with 'the youth' in schools and in the community who were being formed to take up their role in society. A role that sadly was distorted in some young persons by parents and carers at an age when their personality was developing.


I worked mainly with new parents and saw behind the mask they used to face the world. A mask that could hide the anxieties, problems and difficulties associated with the vastly important role of child rearing.


I was so privileged to share in the lives of many people of different ages but I was aware that we all share the same needs, wants and expectations in life.




We live for such a short time and each one of us is important to the growth and advancement of the world. Shakespeare wrote 'all the world is a stage and we are merely players', we only allow parts of our selves to be visible to others. So let us remember to look beyond the masks, to hear the stories of life and of the individual.

What shadow would I reflect? I hope it is one of help and support and of having made a difference in the lives of those I have met.