It's lonely at the top

It's funny to think that, until a while ago, I didn't think that the cliche "it's lonely at the top" was true but now I know that it is.

I was the Chair of the Thurrock Mental Health Service Users and Carers Forum until last Wednesday when I quit at the March meeting.  It seemed to come as quite a shock to people.  I don't know why.  I had had enough of the stress of carrying the group as I had no Vice Chair to carry the load with me despite numerous requests for one.  It may seem that there wasn't a lot of work to do or worry to be had but there was.  I had had enough of taking other's problems on when no one was helping me to sort my own problems.

What surprises me is, that people seem to think that I should continue to carry the burden of other people's problems, the Forum and my own problems as if my doing so somehow means that they don't have to take responsibility for helping to 'fight the good fight' so to speak.  That it's my duty and no-one else's.

I can appreciate "Call Me Dave" Cameron's position now, although he does have something I did not - a deputy in the form of Nick Clegg to curl up at the feet of his master so Cameron can unload the stresses of the day while scratching Cleggy behind the ear.

So yes, it is lonely at the top.