5th March 2023

 Life today is difficult.  Yes, I know that home comforts have increased by leaps and bounds since the 1950s.  And just look at how wonderful it is to be able to ‘Whatsapp’ with our adult children living in the US, as we did yesterday.  But despite all of this, I still sigh.  Some say that my generation has lived through more technological change over the past 50 years than anyone before. And, I admit to being grateful that iphone cameras weren’t around in my teens to incriminate me now!  But today it’s the lack of courtesy and consideration for others which gets me down, good manners clearly not taught by parents or schools any more. Old people are rarely offered a seat on public transport, bags often occupying places for passengers, and in the literary world, if agents or publishers aren’t interested in your long-prepared submission, no response is sent at all. Some years ago I was walking home from work, wandering a little on the pavement through tiredness, when a jogger suddenly zoomed past me from behind, screaming at me to get out of the way!  And don’t start me on road rage. When did good manners fly out of the window? These days, in the cut and thrust of modern living, everyone has their own agenda,  stabbing in the back anyone who gets in their way. My message to them? Wait until you’re old.