By Kevin Hillier
Who can you trust? Where can you go to feel safe? Our so-called pillars of virtue have been smashed in recent times and I doubt some will ever recover.
Police, churches, banks, politicians and schools have all had their established and exalted places in society questioned and scrutinised, for very good reasons.
This leaves a void, with no easy or obvious replacements.
The Catholic Church, the legal profession and our police are the latest to be exposed for a litany of illegal acts and betrayal of trust. The ramifications are brutal and long term. The damage may be irreparable in some cases.
The cloud of doubt and distrust will be there for a long time and rebuilding those pillars of virtue will be painstakingly slow.
I believe the amount of decent, caring people in the vocations mentioned far outnumber the ones who have engendered shame and disgrace. We have to believe that, don’t we?
It surely is no coincidence that incidences of mental health issues are on the rise as the fabric of our society becomes more and more frayed. So who can you turn to in times of need?
For some, family and friends are the last option for help, understanding and sanctuary, especially if they are the cause of the problem.
Is professional help the answer? As my wife says, it is the chicken soup principle – it can’t hurt.
Thankfully the social stigma and, in some cases, shame and ridicule faced by those seeking professional help has decreased.
This is where we need our three levels of government to weigh in and make sure affordable services are in place and meet the needs of the city, unlike so many other services. This should be a priority.
To answer the question that started this column – I am not sure, but I hope you can find someone you can trust, if and when you need them. You may be surprised who that person turns out to be.
Life is too short to be sad, miserable, frightened or helpless.
