I haven’t been able to get a good walkies with mummy all week, every time we go out there’s been lots of loud bangs going on. I don’t like the loud bangs as they’re just so noisy and there’s no warning that they’re gonna go bang.
The one time there wasn’t loud bangs and we were just getting into a good walkies it started to rain. As you all know I don’t mind the rain but it started to get heavier so we headed for home and a warm daddy towel down.
I don’t normally mind loud noises as my super blindie hearing can tell if it close or far away but these bangs are just so loud and they echo around and then I can’t tell where they’re coming from or if it’s something that I need to run away from. As well as that they come in bunches, not just one noise but a whole load of them, bang, bang, bang, crackle, crackle. It’s just too much for me to cope with, even with mummy around to talk to me.
Whenever the bangs go off mummy’s right there talking to me, telling me what a good girl I am, “You’re ok Jenny, it’s ok, it’s just noises, you’re so brave, let’s go this way instead.” Then if it stops quickly we might have another little run around and climb a tree or two or chase some leaves but then if it happens again I’ll head straight for the door to go home.
I know mummy would never let anything hurt me and always gives me lots of cuddles and strokes and I can always run to her if I get anxious. She doesn’t make me stay out at all if I don’t want to, I’m in charge of walkies and if I want to go in then we can always have a play indoors instead.
Sometimes the bangs are so loud we can hear them indoors too and this does make me scared and I run and hide away from them. Mummy and daddy even put up the curtains that they had taken down when the moth man came, they said that it’ll not only make the noises quieter and also keep us toasty warm as the weather gets colder.
Sometimes I snuggle on mummy’s lap for comfort and then if we hear the noises indoors then mummy rubs my ears and daddy says “it’s ok Jen Jen” and I feel safe and secure. Millie helps me too, I used to snuggle with Peppar if I was scared but now Millie comes and cuddles next to me and we sit there together, Angelin is completely oblivious to all this and just carries on as normal. Sometimes if I want to just hide away I can snuggle down in my snuggle bed or curl up in daddy’s towel and hide away in my own safe little world. When I hear the loud bangs indoors, that really upsets me, more than the outdoor ones, outside I expect to hear some scary noises or unfamiliar sounds but not indoors. Inside is where I should feel safe, it’s my home, where I should feel relaxed, hearing the loud bangs inside really makes me upset, every noise, no matter how small then makes me jump, even noises that I’m familiar with then scare me, my whole body is tense, I can’t relax, I can’t sleep and I can’t enjoy myself. Even with mummy and daddy reassuring me it takes me a very long time to finally relax and calm down.
I’m really glad this only seems to last a week here and a couple of other nights in the year but I wish it wouldn’t happen at all. Mummy says that the loud bangs are called fireworks and make pretty patterns in the sky. That made me think though, I can use my imagination and other senses to make an image in my mind as to what they look like, why can’t humans do this too and then they wouldn’t need to make the horrible loud bangs and scare me. Surely the pretty patterns in the sky aren’t worth such loud noises.
Jenny’s Story 