DOWNLOAD THE TRACK HERE: Living with me | Cindy Stratton
Microlink video produced for Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2025
In October 2024 I was at a big conference in London that focussed on Special Education Needs and Disabilities in schools. I met the wonderful CEO of nasen, Annamarie Hassall, and we talked about my future retirement plans to do less education work and return to my musical roots. A feature of an outstanding leader is to inspire and motivate the people around them… and Annamarie said, “Well, why don’t you write a song about children with SEND?”… I paused for a moment, and thought, “Right OK, I will!”
This is the result.
I have drawn from the lived experiences of parents, professionals, children and adults… stories of dedication, pain, hardship and amazing successes against the odds. I dedicate this song to all of them.
I thank my colleagues at Microlink: led by the incredible Nasser Siabi, I cannot think of a more inclusive organisation that leads by example.
I thank my partner and soulmate Cindy: how lucky I am to have one of the most amazing singer-songwriters available to pick up a piece of paper and just bring something to life! Amazing! I love you so much xxx
And I thank you for listening, for sharing, and for making change happen. Sometimes a piece of art can touch the soul in a way a policy document cannot. That is my dearest wish.
Living with me
You may wonder what I’m thinking,
How I’m feeling day to day.
The very things you take for granted
Cause me hurt in every way…
My mind is bright but I cannot read.
A smile means nothing much to me.
Sometimes I know I cannot hide… the agonies that burst inside
You don’t know how I feel… living with me
At times I will be hard to handle
I shout or scream, or freeze and stare
You might be tired, you may be busy
You might not know, you may not care.
Your mouth says welcome, but your eyes say not today
I get the feeling that you’d rather I would go away.
You use the word “inclusion”, but to me
it’s just a meaningless illusion
You don’t know what it’s like… living with me
There will be times when you feel helpless
You won’t know what to say or do.
But I know you’ll be fighting for me,
That’s all I need to get me through.
So hold me close and keep me warm
A harbour from my daily storms
When your eyes are full of kindness, when you reach out through other’s blindness
I know that you will be…
living with me
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