Do you have toilet trouble?
The other day, trying to go to the loo in a trendy office building in The City, I had to look, at least twice, at the sign on the door, to be sure I was going into the correct toilet.
So after I was sure I’d made the right decision, I did what I had to do and went back to work.
A bit later on, I needed the loo again, but I hung back slightly and watched the lady who was also heading to the loo’s to see what she did.
To my delight (I don’t get out much. Does it show?), she did exactly the same thing as I’d done earlier.
I’d never met this lady before (she was an audience member at the awards I was showcalling), but when I mentioned it to her, we ended up with the giggles.
I’m sure going to the loo never used to be as difficult as one of the mental agility games on The Krypton Factor? (I’m showing my age with that reference!).
So I did what we all do these days: I asked Google.
And the answer surprised me a bit.
Google’s AI overview said that, ‘Toilet signs are becoming harder to recognise due to a trend towards abstract or stylised depictions of genders, and the inclusion of symbols or text that are not universally understood.’
Have any of you fallen victim to this new trend?
I bet you have!
Grief.
Grief is an odd emotion that can massively catch you off guard.
I used to think that grief was an emotion you only felt after someone close to you had died.
But I’ve recently discovered first-hand that grief is something that can be deeply felt when you experience significant changes in your life.
Now, I don’t want to bring down the Monday morning ramblings with doom and gloom, which is why I didn’t put this at the top of the email, but this type of grief has properly knocked me sideways recently.
So I’ve decided to write about it, because getting it all out of your system is supposed to be cathartic, innit?
For the past six months, there’s been a series of big things chipping away at my usually happy soul. I’m not going to list them because that feels a bit too personal, but they’re related to things we all experience: families, relationships, getting older, our kids, our parents, and the one that’s really bitten me in the arse, where we thought we might be at a particular time in our lives.
That last one is a biggie for me; I’m not where I thought I might be. And, the bigger picture of where I thought I was going has also just dramatically changed, too.
I’ve done lots of things I’m proud of, and I’ve achieved lots of things I didn’t think I would ever achieve.
I have masses to be grateful for, and I tick things off my gratitude list every day to keep me grounded and thankful.
But at the moment, it just feels like I’m just keeping on keeping on.
No momentum, and no direction.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, Jill a dull girl.
It’s like the corners of my mouth are turning down a bit more than they used to, and the emotions that accompany this come in crippling waves that are hard to ignore.
My joyful spark is missing.
But I’m determined that the grief will be short-lived.
I’ll be damned if I’m going to let it beat me.
So I’m going on a search for more joy in my life.
That’s my new mission. Simple, everyday joy.
Not expensive, not frivolous, not pretentious, just pure, simple joy.
If you have any tips on how to do this, I’d love to hear from you.
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CALL or WhatsApp Jill on 07764 460008
EMAIL: jill@maverickesc.com
