“Not Seen You Lad Since You Had The Little Breakdown”

THE LATEST in WWN’s Opinions series sees us give a platform to people we really shouldn’t. This week is the turn of Paddy Rotchford who hasn’t seen you lad since you had the little breakdown.

“No, I heard off Triona Hally down the way, she’s friends with one of the nurses and they were saying you were in an awful state. Is there not some patient confidentiality thing there? They shouldn’t be able to go round telling people.

That’s what I said anyway to Niall Tuffton across the way from you, I said himself has had a breakdown and there’s people going around telling his business – that’s not right, is it?

But anyway sure isn’t it great now the way Ireland’s come on, no one does be making a big deal of it. We used to call you ‘characters’ when I was a young lad but not now, you can’t be saying that. Have you gone for a run at all? No, no, I’m just saying it’ll do wonders for you mentally, good as new they say.

Would you think of going on the Late Late and talking about it, no? They’re mad for that stuff so they are. Not me now, just sort puts me off the rest of the show you know, always someone on there saying it’s the like of me, my fault like, for voting in people who don’t give a shit about the health service.

And was it a woman that caused it? Plenty of more fish in the sea, a good looking lad like yourself. A what? An undiagnosed chemical imbalance, years long waiting lists and no specialists? Alright, Jesus, you don’t have to tell me her name if you don’t want.

I was only saying to the wife the other, the younger generation – not built for it the way we are, if we had a problem we’d bury deep down and that’d be the end of it.

Anyway, I’ll leave you. Good lad, tell your mam I was asking after her, she must be awful worried. Not me now, our Chris is a great lad never gives us trouble and before you say it – that young one was lying. Right, I’ll leave ya, gwan there.

And chin up, it might never happen, good lad.

I’m gone now, remember – that’s right, an auld run and you’d be good as new.