More to it than just the singing!!

I watched The Choir on Thursday with growing fascination and astonishment.

There in all its glory was power, hierarchy, suppressed emotions and the toil of managing self in the face of trauma and suffering. I have long been fascinated by the "total institution” of the Hospital and how its seemingly "normal" function is actually dysfunction and damaging.

I did not like working in hospitals and got out as soon as I could being “allowed" into district nursing just 18 months after qualifying. I loved working in the community and I am pretty sure the reason why I finally had to leave clinical practice was because I was working in the Hospital environment with all its related power relationships and expectations that all illness is presented on the wards rather than working to prevent people ever getting in there in the first place!!

Anyway enough of that for now but I was quite shocked by what I saw on The Choir - after 16 years away I thought things would have changed BUT no - still the same. On thinking about it this morning whilst walking the dog I wondered whether the folk who were on there were:-

1. Very brave for showing us their fragilities and frailties

OR

2 Blissfully unaware of what ails them!!