At a time like this, I am heartily glad that I have things to draw support from or escape into. From the start, obviously you cannot escape the issues forever – that is irresponsible and cowardly (unlike a distressingly large number of politicians it seems) – and they need to be dealt with, no matter how much you wish they did not exist (much to my disappointment the current situation has not yet turned out to be a very long and vivid dream sequence, and if it is this is truly a record breaking shower) or how difficult the obstacles seem to be.

I believe in miracles, but you get more of them if you put in some effort first. But often we need something to ground us, to allow us to recharge, to wipe off the sweat, can give us some encouragement and push us back out into the ring for the next round with a renewed sense of vigour.

What this is for each of us varies from time to time but I was trying to think positively today and came up with the three that are most important to me.

Belief: I do not just mean belief in God; although for people like me that do believe then obviously that provides comfort. For others, and this includes many of my friends it is a belief in an innate goodness in humanity that might win out in the end, that ‘humanity’ itself will eventually win out because there are more good people then bad people. I tend to fall in both camps – I despair of humanity in general when I listen to the news, but then I meet wonderful people of all ages every day of my life, which reassures me that there is always something good in the world despite appearances sometimes to the contrary.

Each Other: Relationship is essential to us. Without it we cannot survive. I am lucky enough to have the Lovely Wife is a rock I can cling to (sometimes literally) when everything else is going wrong. I am sure she would also agree that friendships are also important – even more so in cases where perhaps you need support which is different from what a partner can give. I am renewed and elated by my friendships – not just by them being an ear to hear, but because I can also rejoice in their successes because of my connection to them – in the achievements of their children, in the success they are having in their various careers or just knowing that maybe someone you know thinks of you and smiles.

There is also energy in knowing that your friends might need you, and while it might seem counter intuitive, knowing that you are responsible for being ready with that crisis can also remind you that you cannot just walk away from life.

On a different scale there are the community groups that we operate in –fan supporter groups (whether that be related to sports, music, cult TV show or whatever), church communities or indeed just enjoying the same things… It is very rare to meet someone who you cannot find a connection with – but in terms of supporting each other that connection has to be a strong one.

Save the tenuous ones for making polite conversation at a party when you are never going to see the other person again.

Imagination: While some animals show a low degree of being able to create a vision of what may be rather than what is, we humans do this to a degree that no other creature comes remotely close too. Imagination, and the benefits it brings, is a huge gift. All of art – whether that be music, painting and sculpture, TV, theatre and film or whatever – leaps from the imagination of individuals but then becomes part of a wonderful melange you can partake of – should you wish. We all prefer to partake from different sections of this particular smorgasbord. But while sometimes this can seem very unimportant, listening to certain kinds of music, or reading a favourite book or, as in my case, binge watching 1980s Red Dwarf (I forgot how funny this could be) is a perfect way for a short time to get away from the crap and later wonder… In a world that created this, surely we can find a way to make it work? And then get on with hopefully doing my bit to get things as much back on track that we can at this time.