I've been researching and writing a piece on "Hustle Culture" this week which has taken a lot more time than I'd anticipated. As a consequence, I have got behind with my other work. One evening, after we've cleared the dinner plates I say, "I've got to finish an "Ask A Therapist" question … [Read more...] about Inadvertent Birthday Hustling
Loss
Any Spare Tickets?
I'm buying tickets for a gig, clicking through the various screens like I used to do, in the before times. It feels surreal, the imagining of a crowded room, the floor sticky with spilled beer, and the smell of sweat and perfume. This past year I have learned not to expect anything, yet I am … [Read more...] about Any Spare Tickets?
Holding My Breath
I arrive early for my vaccine appointment unable to escape the nagging belief that lateness will result in a refusal to put the long-awaited needle into my arm. I am led through the car park and around the back by a volunteer from The Rotary Club. The gardens have changed since I last visited, … [Read more...] about Holding My Breath
Listening To Jazz
Tiring of the 80s playlist I'd felt enthusiastic about when putting it on "Twisted Sister" are the final straw and I switch to something called "Jazz in the background" which seems to fit the mood for a Saturday evening dinner. Daisy, the Labrador, sidles out of the kitchen and curls up next to … [Read more...] about Listening To Jazz
Inside Out
We're watching "Inside Out", a Pixar animation about Riley, a young girl, and her unsettled emotions after a family move from her beloved Minnesota home to a new life in San Francisco. It sounds suspiciously like a busman's holiday and I'm not at all sure I'm going to get anything from … [Read more...] about Inside Out