The #4SRule

The #4SRule

Not everyone knows about my past. Some parts of it have been quite challenging & in 2014 I left the UK to live in Italy for a few years. I was trying to re-find the guy I was always meant to be. Later I moved to Ireland before returning to the UK in the latter part of 2018. I will I think start to share more stories about both countries in the coming month. Both places taught me so much.

Italy was an eye opener for me. When I first arrived I didn't know the culture or it's language. I was 43years of age & this journey had never figured in my middle-class life plan. I tried many types of work whilst living there & in the early days I got used to the phrase, "Sei uno stupido inglese." You are a stupid English Man being bawled at me

In fairness sometimes I needed shouting at. One of the jobs I took was working in a forest as a lumberjack. I was never trusted enough to use the chain saw, I was a log carrier & a tidy-upperer. The logs were 3 metres in length & weighed around a hundred kilos each. It was heavy but honest work. Initially my body was sorely tested

Whilst I arrived in Italy quite unfit I did leave two & a half years later as a different guy, certainly my physical fitness was much improved. But most importantly my #MentallHealth had improved. The work in "Il Bosco", The Forest, started at 7am. We were driven there riding open back on a trailer, which was towed by a tractor. In the winter months the temperature often dropped as low as minus ten degrees Celsius.

It was always good to start work as it warmed us quickly. I preferred when I was on the splitting crew. We would break 3 metre lengths of wood with axes & steel wedges called cuneos. The alternative was lugging the split wood up or down the mountainside. That was good for fitnesss but exhausting

Unlike the UK Health & Safety Regulations worked differently in Italy. In the North of the country wood remains a primary fuel in many businesses's and households. It not only provides energy for heating but is also the primary source of fire for cooking. I guess in many ways the work I undertook was that of a keyworker, without my pathetic English Man's work people would go cold or not have warm food

The forest didn't always seem safe. 18 year olds with chainsaws would fell trees without a word of warning & often you had to run for cover. On my first day I was issued with a uniform that consisted of a size 41 & a size 43 Wellington Boot. There was no steel toe-caps & I was reminded to be grateful that the size 7 & size 9 shoes were of the same colour. Of course, "Sei uno stupido inglese." Lol

In some ways I punished myself through my work. In the first few months when my competence lacked & my physical fitness was low I enjoyed the misery of the work. I felt it was a payback for previous misdemeanours & mistakes I had made whilst living in the UK. Maybe that is part of being brought up as a strict Roman Catholic. I had learned to adopt a "Guilt Complex" despite not having necessarily done anything wrong

I have written about Reinhardt before. He was the "Capo" or boss of the wood-cutting crew. He was as tough as they come but also an extremely gentle soul. If he said jump you jumped & didn't stop until he smiled. Sometimes as I wonder around forests in the UK I wish there were a million Reinhardt's. Whenever we cleared an area of forest we would leave it immaculate. All green wood was left perfectly stacked to dry out for up to two years, covered in heavy weight leather wrappers, all twigs & lesser branches piled neatly for animals to find homes in. The forest floor often looked like a freshly hoovered lounge

Reinhardt helped me re-find my humility & patience in life. Before I left the UK I had been quite ill mentally, spending a considerable amount of time in mental health units. Prior to that I had probably been more ill. I had been working in private business, in the recruitment & training field. My life had become about chasing profit at all costs, often without moral or ethical consideration. It took its toll on me. I became spiritually bankrupt. I also had probably become quite arrogant & conceited. I had turned into a different man than I had ever hoped to become

In his own way Reinhardt helped me change. He is introduced me to the #4SRule . I used to write about this often but have been reminded of it again in the last few days. Reinhardt & the whole wood-cutting crew had these 4 simple rules when any of us was tasked with anything.

The #4's went in this order:

Silence (When asked to do anything remain quiet a & just do)

Swallow (Sometimes you won't like what you have to do but do it anyway)

Suffer (Do the task despite its pain, as it will serve you anyway)

Smile (Regardless of whether it is a desired task or not, do it with joy)

Reinhardt taught me a lot about humility & service. Despite him having a life threatening illness I never saw him complain. He did call me a stupid English man on many an occasion but his eyes always betrayed him. They smiled with love & care. Reinhardt had an uncanny ability to influence others. He helped them to re-find themselves & managed to nurture love in them again. I will always be grateful to this guy

Someday I will return to the Northern Italian forests & walk past the green wood that will still be stacked perfectly. In the meantime I will remember & try to live by the #4SRule . It has in the past served me so well. Yes, we may our be encouraged to talk & share our worries but equally at times it is important to hold our counsel, to maintain our dignity & resolve the issues that are within our own ability