Funny place this, random conversations about living in care, dishing out snippets of life as you lived it. Then with all the best will in the world, people get involved, most with #socialwork in their bio. They will empathise, engage and even random RT. All is wonderful (1)

(2) but at the same time, alongside the empathy they add in little comments like, 'it's known as this or that' when describing my life experience. No it's not, it's my experience, as others is theirs. It's not something you can box into a 'term' because you feel more comfortable

Until you stop and actually think about your reply, you are adding to the belief, and ideas that the system can change, with 'learning' and the idea that a few years of case studies, theory and legal work, whilst chatting with people like me, getting only a few memories

Is the answer, it's really not. You can have a heart the size of a lion, empathise more than Rogers himself. But until you remember to stop, be silent, communicate with each person you interact with as an individual and their story you've added to the failings. Please don't

Try to be the hero, we are our own hero's, we have the knowledge, we have the scars, we have an individual story that can and will help others. Don't silence us with text book terms for your own comfort. Challenge yourself to accept us, our life and we can all grow, together.

No hero’s needed. Just growth . Allow common sense the same validity as learning.