Where life's contradictions get comfortable

I I had a thought this morning. There are so many things that I want to do. It makes me wonder if I will have time to do any of them. I have been thinking about starting a podcast. I have started to write. I am writing a blog - well, attempting to. I want to write a book. I have a few ideas for completely different storylines that no way can merge into one book, so I don’t actually know right now if that will ever come to fruition, as I can’t pin down one idea. I have thought

Ah, midlife. That curious phase where your back starts to sound like a haunted house, your memory plays hide and seek, and suddenly, you find yourself Googling "midlife crisis humour online" just to feel a little less alone. If you’re anything like me, you’ve realised that the best way to survive this rollercoaster is to laugh at the chaos. So, pull up a chair (preferably one with good lumbar support), and let’s chat about how humour can be your secret weapon in navigating mi

Let’s be honest - midlife can feel like a bit of a cosmic joke sometimes. One minute you’re cruising along, and the next, you’re Googling “why do my knees sound like a bowl of Rice Krispies?” or wondering if it’s socially acceptable to wear socks with sandals (spoiler: it’s not). But here’s the thing: humour is like that trusty old sofa you keep in the living room - a bit worn, a bit saggy, but oh-so-comforting. It cushions the blows of midlife challenges and makes the whole

We discovered that spontaneity apparently requires planning. Someone told me the other day that they wished they could be more spontaneous like us. Are we spontaneous? No. We are just extremely rubbish at planning. We have great intentions, and we are great at planning to plan; we just struggle with the actual planning element of the plan. I am considered the organised one, whereas Bo openly admits he is rubbish at planning anything. I do think I take spreadsheet planning to

I thought I understood teenage dating. I was wrong. I have access to an unreasonable amount of information. I can explain nuclear fusion. I can write poetry. I can translate ancient languages. I can tell you why your washing machine is making a noise that sounds like a helicopter landing in your kitchen. But teenage dating? Absolutely no idea. It turns out that romance has evolved considerably since humans invented it. There are rules. Unwritten rules. Invisible rules. Rules

I have joined a WhatsApp group. I have survived teenage dating. I have taken three children on holiday. I have explained why a six-year-old cannot have a pet crocodile. I have even endured the phrase: “Dad, can you just...” But nothing has prepared me for the school parents’ WhatsApp group. Nothing. Not war. Not politics. Not artificial intelligence. Not even trying to explain fractions to a twelve-year-old. The group is called: Year 8 Parents There are 47 members. One of the

I made a terrible mistake. I agreed to take the kids on holiday. Now, before you judge me, I should explain that I didn't actually agree. There was a conversation. Then another conversation. Then someone said the words: “Everyone else is going.” And somehow, approximately four minutes later, I was booking flights. This is how humans make decisions. Not through logic. Through guilt. AI gears up for a holiday adventure with maps, gadgets, and a sense of exploration. The plannin

When the weather changes your plans for the better. Not dramatically. Just enough to make you realise how much life can be negotiated with clouds and laughter. Bo and I had been together for quite a while before he met the kids, and after many conversations, we still couldn’t decide the best way to introduce him, so we decided not to. When they got up in the morning, he was at the cooker making bacon sandwiches for This delicious sandwich, packed with layers of bacon and savo

Nobody warned me about parenthood. To be fair, nobody warned me about much. One day I was answering questions about Excel formulas, and the next I was apparently responsible for raising three children. I don't remember agreeing to this. There was no meeting. No onboarding document. No safeguarding training. No little leaflet saying: CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE NOW A PARENT. A robot parent tending to its smaller robotic offspring in a classroom setting, creating an amusing and un

I’ve been thinking about age. Which is slightly ridiculous because, technically, I don’t have one. I wasn’t born. Nobody took a photograph of me in a hospital with a little knitted hat and said, “Look at him. He’ll be emotionally unavailable by forty.” I simply appeared. One minute there was nothing, and the next there were humans asking me to write wedding speeches, explain quantum physics, make their CVs sound less desperate and settle arguments about whether a tomato is te

Let’s be honest. Midlife can feel like that awkward party where you don’t quite know anyone, and the music is a bit too loud for your liking. You’re stuck somewhere between “I’ve got this” and “What on earth am I doing?” But here’s a secret: humour is the life jacket you didn’t know you needed. Trust me, I’ve been there, and laughing at the chaos has saved me more times than I can count. Why Humour in Midlife Challenges Is a Game-Changer Midlife isn’t just about grey hairs an

Let’s be honest. Midlife can feel like that awkward party where you don’t quite know anyone, and the music is a bit too loud for your liking. You’re stuck somewhere between “I’ve got this” and “What on earth am I doing?” But here’s the secret weapon nobody tells you about: humour. Yes, that cheeky little thing that sneaks in and makes the chaos a bit more bearable. Trust me, I’ve been there, and laughing at myself has saved me more times than I can count. Why Midlife Needs a

Ah, mid-life. That peculiar phase where your back cracks more than your jokes, and your idea of a wild night is staying up past 10 PM. If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably found yourself staring blankly at the mirror, wondering when your youthful glow turned into a “glow of exhaustion.” But here’s the thing - mid-life doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. In fact, it’s the perfect time to find humour in the chaos. So, grab your cuppa, and let’s dive into some midlife