Our lives begin in the middle of everyone else’s life, and some of their lives begin in the middle of ours, so we should all be prepared to accept what has gone before, what is to come, and that there is really nothing new in the world. Things change, people move on, our world is,…

I am rarely one to go about accusing anyone of ageism, although some of the other –isms that we use do come regularly to mind when I talk or write to certain types of people, but more inclined to break such things down to a level of experience. I do not doubt for one moment…

Without a shadow of a doubt, this small letter will be one of many that you receive, initially, in reply to your hope of finding people to write to, people you can get to know through the wonderful art of letter writing. There will be short and longer letters, offers which you can’t refuse, promises…

The interesting thing about being an old person, as I admit to being, is that many readily assume you do not know of modern tastes, modern technology, modern fashion and mores, and are often surprised to the point of having their jaws drop onto their chests when you converse with them on a certain higher…

I’m not too sure about a voice of sanity: there are times when I feel that there is no voice which understands a situation clearly enough to take any action, to comprehend what is happening around us and how we should combat it. The world is filled with too many voices, most of them fighting…

I’m not sure whether to be relieved, or sad, as the sun is not beating down the back of my neck as I write this – although it is the right time of day – and we are stuck in a major storm in north Germany, with high winds and lashing rain. Compared to storms…

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…

After almost a week of blazing sunshine and warmth, bearing in mind the time of year, it was pleasant to have a brief respite with rain today. Walking through town and along the banks of the river in the freshened air, the smell of freshly mown grass from nearby fields, the sound of numerous birds…

A true appreciation of life and the freedoms that we enjoy, for the most part, is only possible for many when those freedoms, when the benefits of society and the Rights which have been fought for over generations, are taken away from them through no fault of their own. The internet, which for some is…