I’m in Montpellier, making an escape from the UK just a few days after the latest in a long line of cancelled Brexit deadlines. Leaving the EU on Halloween proved to be a dystopian step too far, even for this government. And so we cling on to hope for better politics in 2020. When the daily grind gets too relentless, I find France can be … Continue reading French escape
Decluttering. I’m lazy so I tend not to get rid of stuff until I absolutely have to, until I run out of space or I feel so emotionally unbalanced that tidying seems like a good idea. To be fair, I don’t have a lot of storage space (because London). My wardrobe had reached the point where I’d just stuff clothes in at random, meaning everything … Continue reading Sparking joy with square brackets
Kathy Burke’s documentary All Woman explores different perspectives on being a woman today. The episode on motherhood got me thinking about selfishness. Kathy talked about why she didn’t want to have children, saying “as a kid, we didn’t have much money. If I have a kid, all my money’s got to go on a kid. F— that, I want to spend my money on myself.” … Continue reading A selfish or a free woman
I signed up for the F45 challenge, in a bid to put fitness on my agenda. Self-improvement is where its at these days. We always have to be working towards goals. F45 combines a number of trends: pursuing a fit and lean body, in a bootcamp, under time pressure. I feel tired just thinking about it. The marketing for F45 is visual. People are a ‘before’ … Continue reading On self-improvement
Does anyone else remember seeing the school nurse? It was a feature of school days, where as children we’d be checked over for medical issues of the day and headlice (pretty sure this is still an issue for kids?) When the ‘nit nurse’ wasn’t combing through my hair whilst I prayed nothing was living it in, she was checking my height and weight. As a … Continue reading Doctor vs. Google
Last weekend I sat outside a cafe eating avocado on toast (sorry not sorry). It was cold but sunny, and I was basking in the glow of surviving an exercise workout with only minimal back pain. I was relaxed… …until a scene of urban aggression played out on the narrow pavement next to me. A man was pushing a pram with a baby, whilst a … Continue reading Angry encounters
This year, as I wrote previously, I vowed to do more exercise. I swim, jog and walk when I can, but working in a sedentary job makes the effects negligible. And with interests like reading, writing and watching films, I’m more than likely to be found on my sofa in any spare time I get. I like being lazy and cosy. Add to that the … Continue reading Rethinking the language of fitness
Sleep has always been problematic for me. One of my earliest memories is of finding myself awake when I knew I shouldn’t be. I’m all too familiar with the feeling of being ready for sleep, but somehow not finding it. A frustration made worse by knowing everyone else around me was fast asleep. Childhood sleep challenges became adult ones, and over time I accepted it. … Continue reading Sleep and other mysteries
A new book, Engines of Privilege, promises to explore ‘the irrefutable link between private schools and life’s gilded path: private school to top university to top career.’ As someone who went to comprehensive school, this has been a lifelong fascination. What difference does a school make? Why should the experience have such a lasting impact on one’s progress? Private schools give you confidence and connections. … Continue reading School privilege
Lately I’ve been feeling shaky. Because the type of work I do feels at times like walking on a tightrope. I haven’t joined the circus but I have moved from a permanent job to be self-employed / running my own business / a freelancer. And living this way is a balancing act. I find myself looking down and getting dizzy. Steering your ship When a … Continue reading Freelancer balancing act
