Happy New Year – For the days ahead
I hope the days aheadbring you strengthto face the challengesyou have to face this yearcourage to be bold inthe positive changesto improve your lifepeace with the outcomeshappiness with lifeand joy in the presenceof those you love most. FraserJanuary 2025
September to December 2024 – Reflections
Latterly, my output on Medium has been interrupted by my studies, which was an unintended consequence but, nonetheless, that happened, for which, apologies to all readers. In order to try and prevent that happening in the future, I will be simplifying my workflow on this platform to just one output per week on a regular […]
Coming and Going – And gone forever
last week was the departureBella has gonethis week is the arrivalsons and daughtersnever seen before they gather forwhatever Bella left themand they rake overthe remains of her possessionsthe final accoutrementsof a life well-livedbut one they barely knew abandoned for 20 yearsin housing for older peoplewe all knew her wellwe will wait for them to go […]
That Was The Week – Beginning 18 November 2024
Monday was a busy day for me, going first to Cardiff to see the lovely daughter. She is now on 20,000 words, and doing well with it and, most importantly, having fun with it too. Later, I went to see a huge display of Christmas lights filling the front garden of a large house. All […]
Dastardly Dave – May he be cursed forever
I’ve loved you, Bensince I don’t know when but I’ve lost you nowand I don’t know how one day you were thereand I always knew where but I grew too old, it seemsI don’t know what it means for you are older than meyou wanted to be free I never kept you a slavebut now […]
That Was The Week – Beginning 11 November 2024
At the beginning of the week, Sandy and I went to see ‘Blitz’ in the cinema, which was written and directed by Steve McQueen. It starred Saoirse Ronan as the mum, Paul Weller (from ‘The Jam’) as the grandad, and with an outstanding performance by Elliott Heffernen as the 9 year-old boy, with the addition […]
Mr Robinson’s Razor – And something to shave away
Mr. Robinson looked on to his drive. The fence his neighbour had erected was swaying slightly in the wind. Mr. Robinson smiled. He turned away to get on with his day. Into the bathroom. Yesterday, whilst cleaning out his hall cupboard, Mr. Robinson had found his wet shaving gear, put away since last Christmas, having […]
Old Cronies – Friends for life
we stumble throughremembering of thingseach of us reminding another of things forgottenfrom yesterdaybut each havingwell-remembered storiesfrom decades long ago we niggle and moanabout the health of eachcomparing meds andthings no longer managedmobility, sight and hearingare usually top of the listbut various chronic conditionscome in at second place through complaintsand memory lossthere is everlasting comfortold friends gathering […]
That Was The Week – Beginning 4 November 2024
I made a visit to the University of England (UWE) main campus library at the beginning of the week where I have formerly used their very quiet study area for reading and writing. On the last occasion I travelled there, it took me 40 minutes to go from my flat to be sat down in […]
The Value of Ignorance – And how it enriches my life
I would like to argue that my life is enriched and has great value as a result of my ignorance. I appreciate that this is a somewhat strange thing to say, and so I will attempt to explain how I have reached that conclusion. It is particularly strange for me to talk about the enrichment […]