Reflections
‘I hate to generalise, but ...’ What Uber driving has taught me about humanity
Lawyers always know a “faster” route. Kids hate talking to strangers. Women are scared. And sometimes, talkative 20-somethings just nail it.
- by Wallace Noble
Latest
‘Does a spirit level measure happiness?’ The cute things kids ask during woodwork
Building a stick fence and cubby house provides a bunch of children – and one grown man – with lessons in collaboration.
- by Dugald Jellie
Blue beads, a cap, a cup … How everyday objects can generate joy – and heartbreak
Our love for some seemingly ordinary things is about more than materialistic desire.
- by Patti Miller
Grieving my friend, I began crashing the funerals of strangers
A premature death leaves a fellow mother searching for answers in burial rites.
- by Cherie Gilmour
‘Do not contact me again’: The sudden death of a friendship
What happens when a long-standing mate abruptly dumps you?
- by Ian Cuthbertson
I love to cry at weddings. At a family do in India, I had ample opportunity
Attending one couple’s four ceremonies over three days was a riot of colour, movement – and emotion.
- by Sunil Badami
Why this BBC radio show sends me to sleep
The Shipping Forecast provides a soothing soporific for the insomniac.
- by Grace Linden
When it came to DIY, I’d always felt helpless. A broken dishwasher fixed that
Squaring up to the challenge of a busted whitegood taps into a moment of primal satisfaction.
- by Paul Connolly
‘I felt strongly that my job was to guard Samuel’
The dog, autumn leaves, a morning walk – and the discovery of a dead teen. Dealing with deep sadness – and an immense feeling of responsibility and care.
- by Phil Nott
‘Students don’t want to be your friend, they want to know where they stand’
There’s more paperwork and less time to support new colleagues. A teacher reflects on the highs and lows of 50 years in the classroom.
- by Ned Manning
What makes a parent look up from their phone? My new life as a swim coach
Teaching kids to propel themselves through the water takes a particular kind of skill. Then there are the adults.
- by Alan Attwood
Original URL: https://www.theage.com.au/topic/reflections-1n67