There is a whole lot of baloney talked about how failure is the new success, and, as far as I can make out, the only people who spout it are those who succeed in the end: the ‘it makes me stronger, wiser, more determined’ brigade. The learning that comes from failure is lauded as something … Continue reading Keeping The Dream Alive
It doesn’t take a sledgehammer to crack a nut – the only person I ever heard say that was my grandfather when he thought someone was doing a job ill-matched to their skills and ability. His words came back to me this week as I read Michael Viney’s, ‘A Year’s Turning’ – a book that … Continue reading A Person of Your Education
Have you ever had your tea leaves read, or the lines upon your palm scrutinized, or been ushered through a heavy curtain made from crushed velvet and fringed with gold, behind which a woman with smoky kohl eyes gazed into a crystal ball to tell you what lay in store for you? Two things have … Continue reading Crystal Ball
Ambition is one of those words that can be wrapped in a subtle film of criticism, thin as Japanese mulberry paper. It’s not always so, but sometimes, if you listen carefully, there might be a certain tone of voice used when saying, ‘he’s ambitious, that one.’ At times, it comes with an implication of the … Continue reading Ambition
My Edinburgh Press 