The multicultural, empathetic and modern, everywhere, is under attack in a newly racist and fascist world. But is it really new and can it change? Read the article in full for the answers.
“…It was unfortunate, therefore, that on the one night recently that some couples-time was scrounged, the only cinema show we found to watch was The Materialists. Whilst this isn’t a review, because I won’t add to the glut, I feel obligated to warn my readers to stay away from this snoozefest, rendered more ridiculous by its somnambulating lead, Dakota Johnson.
But its premise isn’t as pointless — that modern men and women are kept apart by the demands they make of their dates. Not the occasion as with Hubby and I — entertaining would have sufficed — but the person they hope to engage. What essential qualities must peeps possess to interest the partner-seekers of this age?”
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“But the battle isn’t irredeemably lost. If spearheading isn’t your gig, there are still people worth supporting, from climate activist Greta Thunberg to New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, to grassroots leaders of progressive, sustainable living across this distressed planet. Liking them as people shouldn’t be prerequisites, as it’s their urgent causes we need to rally around…”
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“Why do we celebrate our birthday when there’s little we did that day that deserves congratulations? I tossed and turned in my mother’s womb with such impatience that I got the umbilical cord wound around my neck, nearly strangling myself. Saved by a caesarian, my bumpy ride into our world ensured I approached it forever more with irreverence. What it didn’t make me, however, was the hero of my birth. That is always the long-suffering mom, and sometimes the support act…”
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“…Amidst all this, there’s never a good time to unwind and reset, but don’t we ALL need a break? WH Davies said it best, “What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?” I rather plenty of shut-eye instead but the principle stands. Yet, what really is a break?”
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It isn’t just our bodies that age, but our psyches. The author recently realised she had lost her ambitions, and was surprised to find she didn’t mind.
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And now, having had a peek at a slightly wider view of the world, please get out there and vote. The options are rarely great but if you’ve done your research, you’ll know the pros and cons of each candidate well, and can make a properly informed decision for a change. When we see the bigger picture, we become less susceptible to manipulation…
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Or, a parent’s work is never done. Please click here to read in full
Pic: With her “all-time bestest friend”
“So what’s my criteria for bonafide buddies (ask yourself the same Q and you might find your life satisfactorily simplified)? I had an interesting exchange with writer Hanif Kureishi on social media more than a decade ago, when I was new to Facebook and he wasn’t (or was just inherently wiser). He insisted it was impossible to make genuine friends on social media and I scoffed at this, naively believing back then to have found whole hordes of them. After over a decade of middling and unfortunate experiences on platforms I can no longer be bothered to frequent, I recognise that the Buddha of Suburbia was spot on…”
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Shreya Sen-Handley 