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Ben Aitken Biography

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“Over dinner, we mostly talk about Henry being gone a year. I tell her what someone told me in Italy: that grief is fruitful because it gives perspective and a sense of scale. Winnie says that's bollocks. Says that loss begets fear of loss. Says she likes the spare ribs though.”

Fear Growth Loss Grief Perspective Grieving

Book:The Marmalade Diaries: The True Story of an Odd Couple

Source: The Marmalade Diaries: The True Story of an Odd Couple

“At 9, with her stew more reduced than any set of freedoms could ever be, she decides she fancies a baked potato with it. We sit down an hour later and something about the lateness of the meal prompts her to bring up the family 'holidays' they used to take down in Devon. (She puts the word in scare quotes because as far as she's concerned a woman's work was never done.) She says there was something magical about those holidays, now that she thinks about it. 'We bought that cottage for fourteen grand. You couldn't get a back door for that money nowadays. But that's what happens. Things change. I mean, look at me. If I found myself in the back of the fridge I wouldn't think twice about throwing myself out.' I ask if she worries about getting old. She snorts. At the question's stupidity. 'The trouble with death,' she says, 'is that it stops you doing things.”

Death Time Change Aging Old Age

Book:The Marmalade Diaries: The True Story of an Odd Couple

Source: The Marmalade Diaries: The True Story of an Odd Couple

“She says there's been a few drops of snow in Yorkshire so the BBC are calling it a White Christmas. I say that's like calling me a vegetarian because I eat peas twice a week.”

Vegetarianism Exaggeration Hyperbole

Book:The Marmalade Diaries: The True Story of an Odd Couple

Source: The Marmalade Diaries: The True Story of an Odd Couple

“She takes a cautious approach to toasting bread. She does it by degrees, nervous of burning it. But the trouble is, by popping it up and down five times to check on its progress, she provides herself with plenty of opportunities to forget about the toast entirely and burn it to a crisp. Her cautious approach to toasting, I fancy, actually has the unintended consequence of making it more likely she'll burn her breakfast. Is there a life lesson in this, I wonder?”

Life Lessons Caution Risk Taking Risk Aversion Being Overly Cautious

Book:The Marmalade Diaries: The True Story of an Odd Couple

Source: The Marmalade Diaries: The True Story of an Odd Couple