On the Road to Change…

First impressions of France: The fields are more golden than green, compared to where I left England. The buildings are jaggier with wee-er bricks and the area is mostly home to nice wee old people who remind me of the villagers from ‘Asterix the Gaul’…In fact, the only young people I’ve seen are the ones who screeched past on motorised scooters, but still manage to throw me a polite ‘Bonjour’ by way of apology for having made the man in the blue skirt spin on the spot as they roared past…As Mojo pointed out, all the cars here are either a Citron, Renault or Peugeot but apart from this and the voices around me (And the big burny thing in the sky) I can sometimes forget I’m not in the UK anymore…(Toto…)

I love French voices, though I barely speak a word. Dr Pine (Pam) gave me a wee French phrase book called ‘15 Minute French’. Clever title really, as when anyone says anything to me here, it only takes me 15 minutes to flick through the book and figure out what they just said…Apparently he’d said ‘Can you hurry up and move!’ :P

My body seems to have finally worked out what’s going on too. Around day 5, some epic blood blisters and the sudden 5 degree jump in temperature meant I was slowing right down. I soon figured out, if I walk from 6am and till noon then sleep through the worst of the heat and trek another 10km before dark, I can make steady progress. Of course the folk round here had worked this system out centuries ago but the kilted foreigner trying to find anywhere open for lunch at 3pm in Forges Les-Eaux was a wee bit slow on the up-take…

I seem to have lost half a stone in just over a week. Thankful I had actively put on weight in the months leading up to the launch, despite all the intense Tabata training since January, new muscles have already appeared above my knees, adding to the distinct granite sensation in my wee rugby legs. Still, I think I should source a sports masseur in Paris (Eddie Izzard had one that travelled with him…)and I must spend more time doing Yoga and stretching each morning to avoid developing accumulative tension. Other than that, all good…

So in all: a great week. With Mojo’s passport hooha leaving him stuck in Newhaven, I was two days into France (I think of distance in terms of time now, 3miles/5km is one hour) before meeting up with him in Yvonne. Still, it meant I got to spend a comfy night in a beautiful guest house, run by Ex-pat Madeline and Peter Mitchell of Hertfordshire, who offered me wine and chat when I arrived at 9:30pm 6hours /19miles from the boat. It was a sign of the times (And perhaps a small win for the Road to Change) that we sat around with their friends and held a civilised discussion on the current realities of child sexual abuse. Home by home, the silence is very gradually stopping…There hospitality was ‘On the house’ in support of the Road to Change, and I recommend anyone passing Mesnieres stop by and give them your business. (www.23grandrue.com) Lovely people.

The first 53km in France was along the beautiful Av Verte (The Greenway), originally the train route from Dieppe to Paris, now an established route for cycling holidays. My ipod died in the first hour of walking Day 6, so I found other things to occupy my mind. The fact that my wee dad would have been on this very route over 50 years ago, on the train to Barcelona with his mates gave me plenty material to begin with. I can’t imagine the scenery has changed much since then. Cider and cheese country apparently, where Waitrose find their Heart-shaped cheeses every Valentine’s day…ooOOoo! I know, right?!

Marching in a kilt through Normandy, I couldn’t help but I acknowledge the harsh history these peaceful fields must have witnessed in the last two great world wars. Named after my dad’s uncle Matthew McVarish who died in battle younger than I am, (Now buried in Cairo) I felt a deep respect for all those young men and women who give up some or all of their lives in pursuit of a greater good…and on I marched on my 10,000miles Road to Change…

This walk is good for the mind. Each morning I set a goal and each night I achieve it. I know many people in many kinds of jobs who don’t get to witness such immediate progress and it feels simply good. The other side to this venture, of course, the international public health communication, is where I must now focus my energy. Luckily, the captain of our ship, Dr Pamela Pine (founder and CEO of Stop the Silence: Stop Child Sexual Abuse, Inc.) has a PhD in International Public Health Communication. (Well handy) The Road to Change is 10,000 mile walk but this is only to draw attention to and encourage international discussion of child sexual abuse. It would be a massive wasted opportunity if I returned in 18 months having achieved nothing but a lovely big walk…Together, we are designing strategic approaches to policy makers, media agencies, Universities and every facet of the general public to ensure the Silence is comprehensively broken. Tailored to each group’s remit and custom to how information has successfully reached them in the past, the outreach documents are another part of this long journey of learning that I’ve set myself on. I’ll be honest, for a dyslexic cretin who’s never liked reading textbooks, this stuff is not easy…

I worry a lot. I worry that the world will figure out that I’m just a wee guy from East Kilbride…How can I change anything? Why would the UN pay any attention to me? Why do I presume to be able to address them anyway? Then tell myself to shoosh and remind myself that maybe I don’t have all the official credentials but I have other stuff…

I have my own experience of being abused. I know all about that. I am fortunate enough to have been through counselling since I was 17 and made great advances on understanding its impact on me and my family. I have the ability to say ‘I am a survivor’. Many many others haven’t had that support or found the strength to speak those words yet. I also have four years training from two of the world’s finest institutions of voice training (How to speak to an auditorium and be heard) So I am in the fairly unique position with the confidence and constitution to stand up (and I already have many times) in front of crowds of thousands and say ‘I am a survivor.’

Yup, I have all that…

As an actor and a playwright, I am a ‘communicator’ of sorts. Sounds contrived when I try to explain it but wither onstage myself, or through my words in other actor’s mouths, I have studied and learned the ability to make people feel things using just words. It’s my job, and I’ve found the words that reach people deepest are always the true ones. I once wrote a wee song for my Gran (God’s best friend) about her in heaven now and what she meant to all of us. Without fail, every time I’ve sung these words at gigs or house parties I have made people in the room cry, folk who never even knew my wee Gran. What is that then? Magic? Witchcraft? I don’t really know exactly but I like to think it’s just pure and simple honesty. Still, whatever it is, I guess I have this too.

So looking at the task ahead, reaching and impacting hopefully millions of lives, from world leaders to the poorest of our world, all these clever strategies and carefully designed approaches, I see little room for error but thankfully I also have some of the best in the world in my team. What I certainly do have is one simple and honest message to communicate. ’We all need to do more to stop innocent children being sexually abused and their lives being destroyed.’

Of course not everyone will hear me (I don’t speak all the required languages, but we’re working around that), not every nation sees the issue as such a priority and not every group is going to turn up and listen but the last thing I have, and I don’t know where I got this from, is determination. I have the desire and drive to spend years of my life and thousands of hours walking to share this message…and I believe I will do it.

It’s already frustrating. We tried every angle to get TV coverage of the event while still in London. It would seem a 28 nation, 10,000mile effort to prevent and heal child sexual abuse is not as News-worthy as which celebrity’s computer is being seized this week. I imagine and hope the coverage will pick up and grow as the walk progresses. As world cyclist, ‘Mark Beaumont’ pointed out, I’m not currently known for this kind of venture. ‘Start’ he said, ‘Then people will realise you’re serious.’
Well, I’ve started…feel free to join me…

28km/One day from Paris, so much research still to do tonight…need to get back to work…

Thanks for reading x

 

Nearly there :) (Well Paris anyhoo…)