I came across a video a while back about service dogs, I think it might have been a fundraising appeal, and because I’m of the opinion that dogs are the most amazing, intelligent and emotionally evolved creatures on this planet, of course I stopped to watch.
People with varying disabilities had a few seconds to introduce their dog and explain some of the ways in which they help them out in life. What struck me straight off was the bond they shared with their amazing companions and just how vital a role dogs play in the lives of the people they serve. But one interview in particular stayed with me. A man, who to the naked eye looked strong and healthy; he was a former soldier who could have featured on a recruitment poster. But as he spoke about his dog, it became apparent how much he would struggle just to get through the day without him. Almost nightly, his dog would switch on his bedroom light and gently wake his owner from his nightmares and calm his anxieties throughout the day. According to this man, his dog knew exactly what he needed at all times, even before he did.
Almost immediately, Lindsey Ryan and her German Shepherd, Frank, were born in my mind. I’m in awe of service dogs, which is why Frank is such an important character in While Nobody Is Watching, but inspired by this soldier, whose name I don’t know, Lindsey Ryan developed as a character who, like him, to the naked eye, seems fine and maintains this illusion by living her life in as much solitude as possible.
Though the story was inspired by this video, which I’ve never been able to find since, a lot of Lindsey’s traits are born out of sheer frustration with the female stereotypes I’m so tired of watching on TV. The hard done-by, harassed and bullied female soldier, or the ball breaker who dedicates her entire life to proving that she’s better/stronger than everyone else. What happened to the real female soldier (not saying for a minute that the other two don’t exist. Of course, they do. But on a larger scale you have women who work alongside their male counterparts as an equal member of a strong team. Where is she portrayed?
Around the same time, I was giving Strike Back (the TV series) one last chance to redeem itself after the first few seasons, (which were fantastic, just like Chris Ryan’s books) took a turn for the – To hell with the storyline! Why doesn’t everyone just have sex and blow everything up instead?
Not that that’s entirely a bad thing, if that’s what you’re looking for, but COME ON! A bunch of male and female underwear models running around in combat gear that’s been tailored to hug their assets kind of takes from the gender equality angle when they introduced the female team members. This bugged me.
Lindsey Ryan is physically strong and fit, as she’s always needed to be for her thirteen-year career as an infantry soldier, but she’s most comfortable in jeans and hoodies, which also keep her scars hidden from the world. She doesn’t need anyone to know that she’s stronger than them. She doesn’t need them to know the places she’s been or the things she’s seen and survived. She fights for those who can’t fight for themselves without wanting anything more than a quiet life in return.
Mental health features prominently in While Nobody Is Watching and not just in the life of Lindsey Ryan. Her new career as a youth worker brings with it a host of characters, all fighting their way through life, dealing with problems that unfortunately are all too real in the society in which we live – poverty, addiction, abuse, all the things we see when we turn on the news at night or take a walk through the part of town where we were warned not to go as kids. Each of these characters must find a way to deal with the hand they’ve been dealt and see if it’s possible to break the cycle that they were born into.
There was so much inspiration taken from different places during the writing of While Nobody Is Watching, but if you have a special dog in your life, please give them an extra warm hug today.
