Hello,
Mr Potato Head and Jessie think I’m more Woody than Buzz. These “which character are you” games often crop up after lunch – they’re good fun and can be surprisingly revealing.
There’s a lot going on, people are momentarily taking on their character roles. Mr. Army Man is barking some marine-style commands, while our two Rexes are busy, both worrying about potential dangers and feeling a little anxious.
I’d just had a call from Syd (2013). He’s not very well at the moment and is coming to terms with a difficult period in his life. But amid all of this, and he re-entered the community nearly 13 years ago, he still wants us to know that he has stayed out of trouble… in a word, desistance.
Mr Slinky and Mrs Potato Head are talking over tea, sharing how difficult their lives have been and reflecting on how important these moments of togetherness are.
Slightly unexpectedly, we now have two Woody’s in the room and Woody 2 is waiting to play table tennis (outside), with Woody! Woody 2 has suddenly started to make significant progress, stepping (slightly in contradiction to our game) out of his child self and beginning to emerge as his adult self.
Maturity is creeping up on him as he experiments with different versions of himself in a safe environment, gauging reactions from others. Apparently, he might be Jessie tomorrow.
Woody 2 wins easily, and we rush back to the warmth of the main building, the wood burner radiating a deep, comforting heat as the Toy Story conversation continues.
I find myself thinking about Syd and his time here… I reckon he was a Buzz Lightyear: confident, determined, and at times, wonderfully naïve, with his childlike self still on display at the age of 40.
The Toy Story chat has now turned to the length of the film and how the endings are always happy, in the end!
At LandWorks we evidence that successful endings can’t be dictated by financial incentives or performance targets. Change cannot be forced. For real transformation to happen, logically the process is not linear or prescriptive – everyone is different, and each story follows its own path.
As Buzz has evidenced over the last 13 years or so.
To desistance and beyond…
Chris
29th January 2026