Reader’s Digest UK – August 2019

one year before they could apply for
a provisional licence to drive a car.
My dad was a keen motorcyclist
and his theory was if everybody
rode a bike, a moped or a motorbike
for a year they’d become much
more aware of the dangers that
those on two wheels have to
experience, like having a car up right
your backside in wet weather or
when going round corners.

We’d have lessons in grief. I
remember a boy at my primary
school was killed cycling to class and
the way they dealt with it was to sort
of pretend it didn’t happen and we
didn’t really talk about it. I’ve since
unfortunately had many friends and
beloved family members die, often
too young, and it’s been a struggle
for me mentally and emotionally.
I know people who dealt with
death when they were young and
they’ve experienced a similar
thing. School prepares you for life
but it doesn’t really prepare you
for death.

Babies wouldn’t get gifts. My
wife Amelia and I have
been trying a “no
gifts for babies”
tack because we
don’t want our
daughter
Cassady to end
up in a room
full of hundreds

of plastic junk toys. Kids in this

country get far too much and the

expectation that comes with it

creates pressure, so I’m quite hoping

that “no” is the first word that

Cassady learns.

Manners would be compulsory.

They’re the lubrication that makes

the gears of the world turn smoothly.

It’s a great shame that “please” and

“thank you” are out of fashion and

holding doors open has gotten very

politicised. A friend of mine held a

door open for a woman and she

turned round and accused him of

sexism. She said, “I don’t need a

door held open for me” and he

replied, “I’d have held it

open for you whether

you were a woman

or a man, thank

you very much.” n

As told to

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