Today is Friday 13th December and to many people it is a scary day. Nine years of Conservative government hasn’t exactly been a bed of roses. But to a lot more people, it has been more than just bearable.

Hope was declared on both sides. Hope from the Right that Brexit will give us whatever we want and hope from the Left that we can live in a fairer, more equitable society.

Time will tell whether that hope was well placed.

It does feel alienating knowing that the majority of the UK parliament doesn’t share my values and desires. But that doesn’t make my value any less valuable. Nor does it make yours less valuable.

I’m lucky that I have cultivated a friendship circle of like-minded individuals that are caring and full of love and empathy toward other people. I have no doubt that we are more similar to those who voted Conservative are also the same.

Does it matter that the election was based on misleading information and dodging scrutiny, not any more at this time. Following convention and pre-conceived norms have been dwindling since the US election which sees Trump in the White House, and potentially stay there for another term unless impeached.

What does matter now is the response we all give to this election.

We can get angry. We can upset. We can get depressed. All normal things to feel at this time. We can’t control those feelings. They’re going to happen to us regardless.

But even through these feelings we can look forward to the next steps, whatever they may be for you. You might feel compelled to resist this new government and join pressure groups to influence new policy. Or, you take a step back, accept what is going to happen and make it work as best as you can for you and your circumstances.

Both of those options are great for you.

If you’re driven by compassion and kindness, keep living by those values. Regardless of what life throws at you.

Give people the benefit of the doubt and engage in conversation with them. Be curious as to their intentions and don’t judge. Just listen and question. This goes both ways.

It won’t be easy at first, but being compassionate and kind, learning other points of view are crucial at this time when we’re feeling so divided.

The world is still turning and we’re lucky enough to experience the world around us. Don’t shut your eyes to the opportunities still out there.

Earlier this year the project I work on, The ManVan, with Movember and Prostate Cancer UK celebrated its first birthday.

I has been an interesting year in many ways. It is very difficulty to launch a project from scratch; I will tell you that. It has had it’s fair share of ups and downs, but as we enter the second quarter of year two I can confidently say it has more ups than downs.

I get to work with a small team, and although there has been driver and admin changes, the advice team has remained the same. Galvanised by targets we have been able to assist each other in assisting men affected by cancer. It has been a real privilage working with them and meeting men from around Wales; we are all so very similar in a young at heart, never grow old, mentality. It was really given me no worries about aging. It is purely a number.

(As I type this the quote “we dont grow old because we dance, we grow old because we stop dancing” pops up on Facebook. As well as someone ‘liking a comment I made in 2010 – random)

Anyway. Men of Wales are a fantastic breed of optomism and anecdotes. Although our only link is a cancer diagnosis, the Van is seldom a place of woe. It is usually full of laughter and semi-ppropriate phrases and stories.

On a personal note I have raised over £300,000 to men and their families affected by cancer by way of application filling and attending appeal tribunals with patients.

I have really enjoyed the entire experience, good and bad, has armed me for life and I can’t thank my crew mates enough for that. Thank you PPD in particular with a mention to DJNJAM.