"There are lots of people in this great big world of ours who I would give the 'thumbs up' to. The vast majority are triers; the ones who simply refuse to give up at the first, second or even the third attempt. Such people are an inspiration to the rest of us. They may realise that they cannot stop the waves of change arriving on their shores, but they simply refuse to be drown by them and instead learn to surf them.
I give the thumbs up to those women who have had a miscarriage or stillbirth and still keep trying to give birth to a child: to those unemployed people who have sent off hundreds of job applications and keep on doing so : to the homeless who refuse to become heartless : to the soldier who has come back from the war zone with fewer limbs than he set out with and needs to readjust to his new life from the arms of a wheelchair: to the learner driver who has taken a dozen failed tests and is still determined to pass : to the pupil who is daily bullied and still goes to school to face down the bully: to all folk with terminal illnesses who refuse to make today their final day : to those who have lost a loved family member or soul mate but refuses to lose all memory of them: to the nurses, doctors, surgeons and all medical staff who live daily surrounded by the dying, but who carry on their attempts to heal: to those who feel like taking their own life, but stay around to face another day: to those who had a poor relationship with a parent and were never told they were loved as a child, but who are determined to relate well to their child and never allow a day to pass without telling them they are loved: to the person who has loved and lost, but keeps one's heart open to the possibility of a new love in their life: to the couple who made their lifelong marriage work against all odds: to the poor person who still shares with their neighbour the little they possess: to all those lost individuals whose search for self is still ongoing.
All of these amazing people can be found in any street at any time, though we may not recognise their daily plight. To all of these amazing people I give the 'thumbs up.' All such people learn from their yesterdays, live for today and hope for tomorrow. Whatever befalls them night or day, they never quit their day dream. They are an example to us all and make the world a better place for others. Thumbs up to them all." William Forde: February 22nd, 2016.