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Claire Holden's avatar

Lots that resonated here, Suw. Also excellent finish ... sometimes drawing attention to the lack of bow IS the bow!

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Suw Charman-Anderson's avatar

Thanks, Claire. I have to admit, I was a bit scared about publishing it, so I'm glad that it's resonating with people!

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Gabrielle Treanor's avatar

Oh this resonates.

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Louise Haynes's avatar

So very, very true.

And that’s enough for me!

:-)

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Suw Charman-Anderson's avatar

Thank you! And yes, that is enough. ❤️

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Louise Haynes's avatar

I like your honesty. Some days are just like that. 🫤

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John Durrant's avatar

Being real is often far more appealing to people than being clever. Sometimes it's good to see our own needs for status and admiration and challenge them. Being real is an act of defiance against the never ending societal pressures of 'achievement' that many of us have internalised and which pressurise us in every activity we pursue.

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Suw Charman-Anderson's avatar

You're so right.

As a child, I was constantly praised for being clever and was in extra classes for English and Maths up until I was 13. Then I moved to a school where I was definitely not the smartest kid in class, but by then I had already internalised firstly that everything should come easily and if it didn't then I was a failure (ie, I didn't learn persistence) and secondly that being clever was the most important thing a person could be. It's taken (taking) years to unlearn that, and it's actually really, really hard when society STILL says that being clever is the most important thing a person can be.

But then, we are all works in progress, and that is good enough.

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