I had a letter from a young woman in Germany recently, one who had written to me first seeking a penfriend to help improve her English language and writing abilities. It was about the third time we had corresponded, but this letter was very short and to the point: she could see no reason to…

I wonder, casting an eye over your profile, whether we are not all looking for that one precious jewel hidden somewhere in life; in a place a person or an event, and failing to find it because we either have expectations which are too high, or ones which do not encompass the idea of the…