Our Name
Once upon a Northern Lifetime
The surprising story of how we got our name...
In a land far away and long ago – well, Northeast England at the beginning of 2011 actually, Terry Mallon, an Occupational Therapist by profession, hit a few bumps in the road on his life journey. Firstly his mother died unexpectedly and the following month he was made redundant from his job as a manager in a local authority adult social care service.
Both of these experiences hit Terry hard and prompted him to reflect and appraise where he was in his life personally and professionally. He now asked himself; so what happens next and where do I go from here?
Music had always played a major part in Terry’s life and in his mental jukebox he would always select songs that presented as being relevant and appropriate at any given time. Now there was one specific song that appeared to be on repeat mainly because the lyrics particularly resonated with him and helped him process what had happened.
The song was “Once in a Lifetime” by the American four-piece band, Talking Heads. It had been released on their album “Remain in Light” and had become an unlikely hit single in the UK in 1981.Terry loved the song in his late teens for its inventiveness and quirkiness but in 2011, whilst negotiating the challenges of middle age, the lyrics in the song spoke to him differently. In his mind they referenced universal themes of existential crises and the unpredictable nature of life but also at the same time celebrated a stoical and joyful acceptance of such uncertainty.
After a brief period of navel gazing Terry concluded his desire to work in management within adult social care had burnt out. He decided to go it alone as an independent occupational therapist and consequently set up his own company.
In considering a name for the company Terry ‘s thoughts returned back to “Once in a Lifetime”. His personal interpretation was that the song was partly about “facing up” i.e. the challenge of facing up to the repercussions and consequences of the falls and stumbles in your life. He also reflected that given his many years as an occupational therapist he had met and worked with many people who had to do just that, the majority of them through no fault of their own.
Once in a lifetime's' opening verse particularly chimed with Terry.
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself, "Well... how did I get here?"
Additionally as an occupational therapist Terry liked the idea of using the word “Lifetime” as it is also a concept regarding housing design that can accommodate changes in an individual’s needs at the different stages of their lives. The “Northern” tag was simply because Terry is a proud northerner and wished to identify the company as such with personal qualities that he felt were important such as directness, friendliness and empathy.
“And you may ask yourself…well how did I get here?”
Well…. that is how he came up with the company’s name…Northern Lifetime.