As some of you may know, I love a new gadget, especially if it is going to assist me in some way, or make my life easier.

Instead of looking on my 17 days in lock-down as a chore, I decided to catch up on some learning, podcasts and music.  I invested in a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones, as a friend had said his ear-cans block out the Mrs nagging in the background, even when you’re not playing anything on them!

Now, it takes a lot to impress me, but these earphones are awesome, you can disappear into your own little world, no background noises or distractions.

One afternoon, when a podcast had finished, I left the headphones on, all was utterly silent and I have to admit, a bit lonely.  Sitting next to me was my faithful old Spaniel, who is now 12 and totally deaf.

Then it hit me.  I was sitting there experiencing exactly what it was like to be him, in his own silent little world depending on those around him to protect him and assist him.

And that, my friends is what we need so much more of right now. Be thankful for what you have, be grateful for the things you are able to do, and spend a bit of time focusing on others less fortunate.

I guarantee, you’ll feel better for it and more importantly, so will they.