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The beauty of youth


This generation is very much the selfie generation, and having seen the results of even the most casual of photos, I don't blame them. I hope they take hundreds of photos and realise that they have the beauty of youth shining through right now - certainly it will disappear by the time they get to my age! Watching Abi at the rugby yesterday taking photos on her IPod touch, England vs Barbarians, 2nd half a bit dull and livened only by a lengthy Mexican wave, it really did strike me that age creeps up without you really noticing it. She took the same photo of her and then me and her face was flawless and mine was, well, mine was not. I have the lumps and bumps of age... and of experience I guess... but it is a bit galling to make a direct compare and contrast!

I'm not that bothered by appearance (hence no make up as always outside of work), but it does make me think again about what motivates me in life. I'm sure much of this is time of year (rolling up to year end at work with the normal panic and poor behaviours that encourages), but it's also about stage of life. If I think I've got less (work years) in front of me than behind, is this how I want to spend the rest of them? We had our grand plan all worked out but it's gone by the wayside because we are so devoted to our house. While we both know it's not all there is to life, we have put so much of ourselves into it, it's almost unimaginable that we could leave right now. We make it worse every day by doing another little thing - each plant we add, each little touch we embellish makes the thought of ever being anywhere else harder. We are our own worst enemy it's true!

The other reason I'm sure about my life reflection is just the amount of uncertainty in the world. We've had the tragedy that is the Manchester arena bombing this week - far too close to home given the age of the kids at that concert. We have the political question of Brexit with all the economic uncertainty that's adding to. The businesses I work with are in the mode of lock down and we are recognising that the last 20 years of growth may not be replicated forever more. I'm very conscious as someone who started work in the 1990s that I have only really seen growth, despite the fact we've had the biggest some of the biggest recessions in history. It feels like that is coming to an end and we are all clinging on with our heads in the sand hoping it can't be true. I'm writing this listening to a radio station playing back to back Noel Gallagher and Oasis in recognition of his 50th birthday... how can Noel Gallagher be 50?! Big business is definitely under hostile fire - big is bad at the moment despite the fact that the country has banked the prosperity of the past few decades quite happily.

The reality is that while we live in this house and send our children to private school I will have to continue to do something akin to what I do today. While that is a fact, there is wiggle room. I could opt for a 4 day week - something that is hugely attractive - and at least give myself some time back in the week, every week. It's very attractive and I'm weighing up the pro's and cons. So far, many pros and the only con is that I will get a little less in my pay packet. Given you can't take it with you, does that really matter?

In the meantime, I thought I'd include a photo of me... I'm very conscious that if I think it's all going south now, it's only going to get worse. I'd better take my advice to the kids to heart and appreciate what I still have right now... and I always look better in B&W!





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