Just Emma

Hello, lovelies.       Cast your mind back. Do you remember the time at school, being called into the career advisors office, to have that chat about what you wanted to do for a job when you finished your education? Back when you could be anything you wanted to be, as long as you worked hard enough. Did I want to be a doctor? A vet? A famous actor? Or was it okay to have no idea what I wanted to do with the rest of my life? It’s a very big decision for a young child to make. Once you state your career goals, are you ever able to change your mind? Go off in a completely different direction. And find happiness doing something you never imagined you could or would ever do. Or are you stuck in the rut of your very own childhood making? Can we rise above our stations in life and dare to dream big? Or are we destined to have the same little lives and dreams that we thought would make us happy so long ago?       From my earliest memory, I have always known ...

Hello, lovelies.      From the day we are born we start on a lifelong journey of growing, learning and trying to be the very best selves we can be. With school, sixth form, university and in my case, drama school, we are always learning. We learn to drive, learn on the job, learn the everchanging layout of the supermarkets. And with any luck we use that knowledge to improve our lives, and hopefully we can impact the lives of those around us. All we can ask is that at the end of it all that we can leave this planet in a better state than when we first arrived. But what if we take all that hard-won knowledge and instead of putting it to better use, we spin it, corrupt it, and hoard it all for ourselves. Would that make us the villains of the piece? Or an entrepreneur? What if our very livelihood depended on the world never knowing what we’re up to? Is it possible to hide in plain sight, all the while taking everything we can get? If we can get all the people to fall for t...

Hello, lovelies.       Cast your mind back, do you remember that argument you had. That really bad one. The one that came out of nowhere, but never really ended. Had been growing for a long time, but was never really addressed or dealt with? And what of the friendship that was once so strong, that has now not only ended, but you would struggle to even remember how you could be friends with that person in the first place. When all good things come to an end, do they ever truly end? And what of the bad things? Do they go on forever? What happens when we can’t or won’t get the closure that we need? Are we stuck, unable to move forward without some sort of ending? Do we really need closure, or can we just move on without a second thought? Or can we give ourselves the closure that we really need? I have always said that I am very easy to let go of.  Over the years, I have lost friends, family members and even a husband. It has always seemed to be so easy to l...

Hello, lovelies.       Once spoken, our words can never be taken back, no matter how hard we wish they could. Some words can cut deeper than any knife. Words, so easily slipped off the tongue in haste, anger or fear can live on in the hearts and minds of others. Do we always mean what we say? Or can we talk without an actual thought in our heads? Do we mean to hurt those around us, when all we are doing is saying what’s on our minds? And what if our words have completely the opposite effect. What if our words can inspire, excite and lead others to go on to greater things? Are our words only meant to wound? Or can they create something good?     I am the worst person at holding on to all the mean, spiteful and hurtful things that have ever been said to me. And amazingly, I can completely forget, almost instantly, anything positive. My mind can only really understand the negative comments. It’s my superpower. But is everything that is said to me really ...

Hello, lovelies.       We have all waited and watched as the world as we knew it stopped, changed and then turned into something that we could never have predicted. We had ridden the Corona wave from the moment we saw it coming on the horizon. We stayed strong as we were all swept along on uncertain ground. And finally, we could see the end of this crazy ride, only for that hope of some sort of normality to come crashing down around us. Is that it? Are we doomed to spend yet another year looked down, locked out and alone as we wait for this all to be over? Is there truth in the new saying, ‘No jab – No job’? Have we come this far only to be stopped in our tracks, unable to move forward and unwilling to go back? Can we stand the wait, hoping that this will be the last time? Or can we use our knowledge, understanding and strength to hold strong for a few more weeks?        As we stand on the precipice of lockdown easing, it’s a funny feeling...

Hello, lovelies.      From the second we are born our lives are mapped out for us. Our parents and guardians choose what schools we go to, what we eat and what we wear. Our moral ethos, family religion and traditions are passed on, and we are expected to follow suit, never asking questions as to why. We are told, from a young age, what is expected of us, and what we should expect out of our lives. We don’t even get a choice in what colours we are allowed to wear. Who decided that blue was for boys? For some this can be a handy framework, that they can use to help them grow in the same mould as their parents. But for others, what is expected may be the polar opposite of who they are and what they want out of life. And what if the person you are on the inside bears no relation to how you look on the outside. Are we destined to always be what we are told that we are? Or is it time to open our minds and embrace people for who they say they are and not worry about anything el...

Hello, lovelies. We can all say that when we hear unexpected or bad news and we just have no idea how to respond. Others can say the right thing at the right time, while others either clam up, stay silent, or worse - open their mouths and say whatever comes into their heads. Then there are those moments that you try to say something, but you’re talked over, shouted over or shut down. You’re silenced so that others can say what they want, and not have to deal with the fallout of their words. So often what I want or need is completely overlooked in favour of those who shout louder that I do. Should we always stay quiet? Would I become a ‘Karen’ of we dared to say speak up and anything? Should we keep quiet if we have nothing nice to say? Or is our opinion just as valid as everyone else? It’s no secret that I hate confrontations. So when I’m caught in the middle of a horrible situation, I find myself holding my stress and anxiety in. My inner dialogue screaming at me not to s...