Like peas in a pod…or not

Which aspects do you think makes a person unique?

We all agree, I reckon that it’s our genetic make-up, our DNA, that is the mother of our uniqueness?

After that, it’s pretty much the wildwest-I was going to say where do we start? But I guess the beginning is a good place as any.

We were created by and from two souls who brought a whole bunch of baggage to the table.

Our upbringing and could on the surface be similar to a sibling, but there will be differences from the off. And dont forget, identical twins will have different fingerprints.

The conditioning that is absorbed and that rejected. An inane sense of self may begin quite young. There again, maybe sometimes that never develops.

Does a child feel supported, guided, safe, and loved? Is it well fed and nourished in all ways every single child should? Everything that happens around them will affect their way of looking at the world. Or do they look the other way in denial, shutting down their developing brains for safe keeping?

Personal life experiences, triumphs, failures,challenges,perspectives, perceptions, values, beliefs, morals, passions, natural abilities, goals,authenticity, and  choice? It all has an effect.

Our ability or inability to express ourselves with so many varying communication styles. Or unable to at all, causing innumerable issues.

Where does self-reliance and strength of character become a thing?

When/how is an honest or dishonest person formed?

What makes a human being kind, open, friendly, and compassionate?

Why are some folk cold, hard, remote?

What makes us unique is a topic worthy of a thesis. Methinks

How complex.

Just Say No!

How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals?

1982, in the US, as part of the ‘War on Drugs Campaign, led by Namcy Reagan,’ the term ‘ Just Say No’ was coined. Sadly, researchers view it as having being ‘ too simplistic’ ( no weight?) and deem it unsuccessful.

My favourite First Lady by far is Eleanor Roosevelt. ( The longest ever serving FL-12 years)  A prolific writer, speaker, and activist for human rights. She encouraged self empowerment. What a woman!

Do one thing every day that scares you.” She said.

Understanding that stepping out of your comfort zone builds character and resilience.

The bronze statue of Eleanor Roosevelt stands in West Potomac Park, Washington D.C.

Over the years, I have read many quotes attributed to her. I love this one…

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”

There’s nothing new about tatts

What tattoo do you want and where would you put it?

This time last year, I wrote about the world’s oldest known evidence of tattooing. Otzi the Iceman. A 3500 year old mummy, but ‘experts’ now reckon getting inked-up could go back 50,000 years.

Me getting a tattoo? Nah, that ship has sailed. But if I had to, they would be tiny symbols to honour my animals past and present, on the inside of my arms.

I see you

What is one word that describes you?

Just the one word, today, eh WP? Okay Observant

And now, with an empty page below, I will fill it with the words of another…..

The Enemy of  All

The frog half fearful jumps across the path,
And little mouse that leaves its hole at eve
Nimbles with timid dread beneath the swath;
My rustling steps awhile their joys deceive,
Till past, and then the cricket sings more strong,
And grasshoppers in merry moods still wear
The short night weary with their fretting song.
Up from behind the molehill jumps the hare,
Cheat of his chosen bed, and from the bank
The yellowhammer flutters in short fears
From off its nest hid in the grasses rank,
And drops again when no more noise it hears.
Thus nature’s human link and endless thrall,
Proud man, still seems the enemy of all.

By John Clare ( 1793 ~ 1864)

Every day is a school day:Lessons in confidence from Nick Ferrari

Who is the most confident person you know?

There’s a phrase I’ve borrowed over the years: Every day is a school day. 
Nick Ferrari says it occasionally on his LBC breakfast show after learning something new. It’s a small phrase, but it tells you everything about the man.

When WordPress asked today’s prompt, ‘ Who is the most confident person you know?’ My mind went straight to him.

Nick Ferrari has spent a lifetime in journalism: newspapers, television, political debate, and now radio. He interviews politicians with the tenacity of a dog with a bone, circling back to a question until it is answered or calmly stating that it hasn’t been. He doesn’t let power slip away from accountability. He doesn’t soften the truth. And he never pretends not to notice when someone is trying to dodge it.

That, to me, is confidence.

But it is the other side of him that completes the picture. 
When he stumbles over a word, as we all do, he corrects himself, apologises, repeats it properly, and moves on. No fuss. No ego. Just a man doing his job with clarity and self-respect.

He is self-effacing without shrinking himself.
Direct without being cruel.
Firm without becoming brittle.

I often think what an extraordinary mentor he must have been, or could have been, for young journalists. Someone who would teach them that confidence is not swagger. It is purpose. It is the ability to hold your ground without losing your humanity.

What stays with me is not only his tenacity but the steadiness beneath it. He listens with intent, challenges with purpose, and refuses to be diverted from the truth. There are no theatrics in it, no ego, just a disciplined clarity that invites others to think more clearly, too.

Confidence, in his case, feels less like a performance and more like a practice. And I find that inspiring.

P.S. I Love You

Write a letter to your 100-year-old self.

Dearest You

Who knew it would take me all morning to stumble over the words I have in my head for you. Let alone get them down in print?

I’m concerned you may not be as comfortable in that skin as you once were. I’m worried that you won’t have a companion cat or dog because you would spend endless hours every day fretting what would become of them when you spin of this Mortal Coil.

I would like to be there to hold your hand and look deep in your eyes, and feel how your heart is holding up.

You will not be best pleased what ageing has done to your physical appearance.  Not in the vain ” ooh aren’t I pretty” kinda way, but in a ” yes, I can scrub up ok” when I try.

You will have done your best to keep your eye on the ever-changing landscape. If you have a device on your lap, that would be wonderful.

Someone to give you a hand and chat to if you need that. The ability to get out into the fresh air and light, maybe a short stroll. To enjoy fresh food.

As I write this today, my very being is full of hopes for you. Remember Emily Dickinson’s Hope is a Thing With Feathers? Do you still enjoy poring through poetry books? I’d like to think so.

And now it’s time to close.

It’s March 10th 2026. It’s cold out there, but the spring flowers are doing well, and today, there’s  not a cloud in the perfectly blue sky. There is even a little warmth in the sun.

May you find a ray of sunshine to sit peacefully in each day. May your sight be clear to see the natural world. May all your senses be your friends.

🩵💚🩷

Words from William Wordsworth

What are three objects you couldn’t live without?- I’m hijacking today’s DP space

Hawthorne

Lines Written in Early Spring

I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.

Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And ’tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.

The birds around me hopped and played,
Their thoughts I cannot measure:—
But the least motion which they made
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.

The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.

If this belief from heaven be sent,
If such be Nature’s holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?

William Wordsworth ( 1770~1850)

Where the Light Finds Us

What experiences in life helped you grow the most?

There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in” Leonard Cohen ( 1934~2016)

Some questions make it sound as though growth comes from a few big, defining moments. As if we’re meant to point to the dramatic scenes and say, there… that’s where I changed. But most of the time, we’re growing in quieter ways.

There are the cracks life gives us without warning. Loss, change, surprise. They open something in us, and the light finds its way through before we’ve even had time to steady ourselves.

There are the tiny cracks, too, the ones we barely notice at the time. A kindness that shifts your mood. A disappointment that slows your pace. Small openings that don’t feel like lessons, yet they soften us all the same.

And there are the cracks we choose. The boundary we finally hold. The truth we stop swallowing. The moment we walk away from something that no longer fits. These openings carry their own quiet courage, and the light that enters through them feels earned.

Together, they shape us. Not in neat chapters, not in grand arcs, but in a steady, ongoing way. Big moments open us. Small moments shape us. All of them let the light in.

And maybe that’s enough to notice for now — the way the light finds us, softly, through whatever openings we have.