{"id":116,"date":"2019-01-11T15:21:12","date_gmt":"2019-01-11T15:21:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/?page_id=116"},"modified":"2022-06-24T09:59:37","modified_gmt":"2022-06-24T09:59:37","slug":"overcoming-your-demons","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/index.php\/overcoming-your-demons\/","title":{"rendered":"OVERCOMING YOUR DEMONS"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-251\" src=\"http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/youtubeprofilestretch-1-300x60.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"645\" height=\"129\" srcset=\"http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/youtubeprofilestretch-1-300x60.jpg 300w, http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/youtubeprofilestretch-1-768x154.jpg 768w, http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/youtubeprofilestretch-1-1024x205.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/youtubeprofilestretch-1-624x125.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 645px) 100vw, 645px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Hi, you are &#8220;face to face with Shell&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>You can either watch the video below or read on:<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"OVERCOMING YOUR DEMONS\" width=\"625\" height=\"469\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j7ZoswcaybM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Everyone is different (as I keep saying, I know) these are just my personal experiences and hopefully by sharing them, I will help you with whatever you are going through\/have gone through.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I was involved in a gas explosion, whilst on holiday in Spain.\u00a0 I remember the explosion happening.\u00a0 Some people do not remember what happened to them&#8230;some were maybe too young to remember.\u00a0 I am glad that I can remember.\u00a0 I am not saying that it was easy remembering, it going through my head again and again to start with, or seeing it happening every time I closed my eyes, or having nightmares and flashbacks but I am glad that I remember; I know why I look like this.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I am going to talk about how I got past the way I felt about the place where the explosion happened.\u00a0\u00a0 It took place in a very popular holiday resort in Spain.\u00a0 Anytime anyone mentioned the name of the place &#8220;Lloret de Mar&#8221;, I would flinch and I would really not like hearing the name being spoken.\u00a0 It filled me with dread.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">My husband, who is a trained therapist in many fields, decided to help me to think differently about &#8220;my accident&#8221;; to help my mind to think differently when I heard the name &#8220;Lloret de Mar&#8221;, and help me not to flinch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He taught me that it was only a place.\u00a0 It wasn&#8217;t its fault that it happened to me.\u00a0 It was just a place.\u00a0 It was a second out of my life (yeah, a second that would change my life forever) but still, only a second.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We have had to attend court in Spain relating to the &#8220;accident&#8221;<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.\u00a0 On the second occasion, it was in a town quite near to where the explosion took place.\u00a0 Chris said:\u00a0 &#8220;After the trial, we should take a holiday to Lloret de Mar&#8221;.\u00a0 He said, &#8220;I want you to have good memories of the place&#8221;.\u00a0 So after the trial, we booked a two week holiday, to help &#8220;retrain my brain&#8221;, so when I thought of Lloret de Mar, I thought of it as a good place.\u00a0 We had a great time.\u00a0 I really enjoyed it, therefore; I had made different memories of a place that I had once dreaded even hearing the name of<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We were also doing a bit of digging around the area (as we totally feel that there has been a massive cover-up regarding the explosion) visiting the local library, etc., to see if anyone could remember anything.\u00a0 Everyone was amazing with us.\u00a0 We had a newspaper clipping (the court reporter interviewed us after the trial and he had written a very good story) and everyone was very interested in what had happened.\u00a0 I was trying to find out if there was anyone who knew the people that had helped us that day.\u00a0 Unfortunately, to this day, we have not been able to find anyone.\u00a0 We did know of one man, the one who came with the fire extinguisher, who was the first into the apartment after it exploded but were told that he never wanted to talk about it or meet us.\u00a0 This man is a hero.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_426\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-426\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-426\" src=\"http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20170826_121129-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20170826_121129-300x169.jpg 300w, http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20170826_121129-768x432.jpg 768w, http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20170826_121129-1024x576.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20170826_121129-624x351.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-426\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">How the apart\/hotel looks now (2017).<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We found out where the apartments were.\u00a0 They are now in a state of disrepair.\u00a0 It felt very strange seeing them.\u00a0 We went into a bar across the road, where the manager was amazing with us.\u00a0 Again, very interested in the story but he had only been there for the last 20 years, not long enough to know anything about it.\u00a0 We watched school children climb the wall and we discovered, through watching them, how to get into the grounds and into the building itself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Chris had said that, if I was up to it, it would probably be a good idea for me to go inside.\u00a0 I was not sure that day.\u00a0 I did lay flowers for my gran and her friend who were killed in the explosion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We went back to the bar the next day, where again, the staff were lovely with us.\u00a0 We had a great afternoon with them and met a couple of Scottish girls.\u00a0 We were telling them the story and they agreed, that I should go in.\u00a0 They said that they wanted to go in with us.\u00a0 They bought a bottle of wine and we ventured in.\u00a0 I was struggling to get over the wall, saying to Chris:\u00a0 &#8220;I don&#8217;t think I can get over it&#8221;, he said to me:\u00a0 &#8220;Yes you can&#8221;.\u00a0 He pulled at the back of my shorts and got me over&#8221;.\u00a0 It was very strange but I managed to find out where the reception was and retraced my steps to the apartment where I thought the explosion &#8220;might&#8221; have happened.\u00a0 We all went inside and had a toast to my gran and her friend.\u00a0 I had kicked those demons back to hell.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The building was just a shell and I think this made it easier for me to go in, knowing that there was no gas running through it&#8230;lol.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I shall be forever grateful to the people that helped us that day and for the people who helped me get back into the apartments after all those years; those girls and Chris, and all the other people of the town who were so friendly and helpful.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We actually have a few great friends in Lloret now; just by going around asking for help and by trying to track down our heroes, has in turn, made us new friends.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We have been back to the town a few times, I now love Lloret de Mar.\u00a0 It is a beautiful, vibrant, and friendly place.\u00a0 I am so glad, that with the help of Chris and our new friends, I now feel totally different.\u00a0 I even felt a bit sad looking at the shell of the apartments, not because of my &#8220;accident&#8221; but because it did look sad; of what once was, as at one time, I am sure there were many happy memories made there.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">There is life after burns\/disfigurement and it can be an amazing life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I&#8217;m not saying that everyone will be able to &#8220;revisit their past&#8221; or indeed, will want to.\u00a0 All I am saying is that it helped me and I was glad that I was given the opportunity to revisit the explosion site.\u00a0 Remember, this was many, many years after the explosion.\u00a0 I am not sure if I could have done it just a few years afterwards.\u00a0 Well, in saying that, we did have to go back to the court in Spain (for the first time) just two years after the explosion, we did stay in Lloret and did see the apartments from a distance.\u00a0 What I mean is; I am not sure I could have gone back to the apartments the way I did, just a few years after the explosion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It took a long while for me to go back abroad on holiday.\u00a0 My cousin done it just a couple of years after she was burned and I really don&#8217;t know how she managed.\u00a0 She went back to an apartment, with gas!\u00a0 Well done!\u00a0 She said it was very hard and that she was frightened a few times, especially when one of the women of the group decided to make a roast chicken for the next day\u2019s dinner, and it was in the gas oven overnight.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It took me about ten years after the explosion to go back abroad on holiday.\u00a0 I never thought that I would go back to Spain, never mind love the place where the explosion actually happened.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When I did think the time was right to go back abroad, it was to Portugal.\u00a0 It was to an apart\/hotel; meaning that it had a small kitchen.\u00a0 I was so paranoid that I asked the travel agent to make sure that there was no gas in the apartment and no gas around where I could see.\u00a0 They very kindly obliged and called the apart\/hotel to make sure.\u00a0 I would do this with every hotel\/apartment I went to abroad for years to come&#8230;I am not so bad now&#8230;lol.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I had a great holiday and met some lifelong friends there.\u00a0 Only thing to spoil it was the bus crash on our way back from a water park called &#8220;Slide and Splash&#8221;, only to be renamed by my mate &#8220;Slide and Smash&#8221;.\u00a0 He kept everyone&#8217;s humour going.\u00a0 We were lucky that we were not hurt but others were.\u00a0 We reckoned that the driver was drunk and he smashed into a tree by the roadside, some large branches came in through the windows and ripped a few out.\u00a0 Most injuries were cuts and people covered in glass, which was in their eyes, etc., not nice at all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">After that, I thought I was doomed&#8230;would I ever have a great holiday abroad?\u00a0 I tried one more time; the next year I went to Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands.\u00a0 I had a great time.\u00a0 The curse had been broken, lol.\u00a0 I am not sure what I would have done if something happened on that holiday, lol.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">After my discharge from hospital, I was still very fearful of gas\/fire.\u00a0 I was lucky that my family home had no gas in it but I was very wary if I had to go to a house that did have gas.\u00a0 Even if someone struck a match near me, I was frightened and for me to strike a match was a no go area.\u00a0 The very thought of fire being that close put total fear into me.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I am still a bit wary of gas.\u00a0 About ten years ago, Chris and I rented a large static caravan in York, England.\u00a0 It was beautiful and we really enjoyed our holiday.\u00a0 Of course, it had gas in it.\u00a0 It was very modern and I had no reason to feel ill at ease in the caravan but I did.\u00a0 Every little noise from the gas had me on edge.\u00a0 Again, Chris came to the rescue.\u00a0 He let me listen to the different noises of the gas and the boiler, and reassured me that it was going to be ok.\u00a0 After the first night I was fine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I am just trying to point out that it&#8217;s ok to be afraid of what hurt you but it is also really good to face these fears head on and try to tackle them.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>Stay safe, stay strong, and we&#8217;ll chat soon.<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">If you would would like to see the next page, please click on the link below:<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #33cccc;\"><a style=\"color: #33cccc;\" href=\"http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/index.php\/going-back-to-the-apartments-and-loving-lloret\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GOING BACK TO THE APARTMENTS AND LOVING LLORET<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hi, you are &#8220;face to face with Shell&#8221;. You can either watch the video below or read on: Everyone is different (as I keep saying, I know) these are just my personal experiences and hopefully by sharing them, I will help you with whatever you are going through\/have gone through. I was involved in a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-116","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/116","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/116\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4420,"href":"http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/116\/revisions\/4420"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/facetofacewithshell.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}