Us

by David Nicholls

‘Lonely’ is a troubling word and not one to be tossed around lightly.

having few enemies is not the same as having many friends,

Familiarity, globalisation, cheap travel, mere weariness had diluted our sense of foreign-ness.

exposure brought understanding.

‘I’ve always wondered who those freaks are who don’t read novels.

Alternative points of view are more easily appreciated from a distance.

Time allows us to zoom out and see things more objectively,

I think, as a parent, one has the right to make some mistakes, and to be forgiven for them. Don’t you agree?’

guilt is rarely rational.

But the trouble with living in the moment is that the moment passes. Impulse and spontaneity take no account of the longer term, of responsibilities and obligations, debts to be paid, promises to fulfil.

Success comes to those who work hard and stick at things that are difficult.

From an evolutionary point of view, most emotions – fear, desire, anger – serve some practical purpose, but nostalgia is a useless, futile thing because it is a longing for something that is permanently lost, and I felt its futility now.