For the thirteen years since the death of my mother a huge collection of 35mm photographic slides have been sitting in the garage on a shelf, waiting for me. Having cleared out her house after she died, a task which took me and my two siblings the best part of a year, I couldn't face looking at … [Read more...] about When It’s Time To Look At The Past
Meaning
Talking About Statues
"What do you think of the statues being taken down?" I ask my children while we're doing the washing up. "I don't know why we have statues at all," says my daughter. "It's hard to know where to draw the line. I guess nobody is all bad," I say. My son is straight back with, "Yeah, maybe … [Read more...] about Talking About Statues
What To Do With Power
It's time for dinner as my daughter arrives in the kitchen. "Can you empty the dishwasher while we're plating up?" I ask, not sure what response I'll get because she looks as if she's just woken up. In case I was in any doubt she prefaces any further activity with, "I'm tired." Despite her … [Read more...] about What To Do With Power
Does It Matter Whether Altruism Really Exists?
On a balmy late spring evening we're eating outside huddled next to the wafts of jasmine bloom providing a flourish to the end of the day. My daughter has spent all day indoors revising for exams. But instead of taking the nervous walk into cavernous halls on campus, she'll be sitting in her … [Read more...] about Does It Matter Whether Altruism Really Exists?
How To Hold A Chord
I was on a workshop once in the beautiful highlands of Scotland when Boo Hewerdine said that the best piece of songwriting advice he was ever given was by a guy in Nashville who had told him, "The longer you hold a chord, the bigger it sounds". I've told numerous people since the beginning of … [Read more...] about How To Hold A Chord