‘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.

  • Wallace Noble

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‘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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Cherie Gilmour

‘Do not contact me again’:The sudden death of a friendship

What happens when a long-standing mate abruptly dumps you?

  • 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.

  • Sunil Badami
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Why this BBC radio show sends me to sleep

The Shipping Forecast provides a soothing soporific for the insomniac.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Ned Manning