17 Comments
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Amelia Wilson's avatar

Cheering you on, Annie!

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Annie Scott's avatar

Thanks so much Amelia!! Can't tell you how much I appreciate any cheering!

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Claire Cohen's avatar

Love this Annie, so many of us feel this way and don't have the cojones to say it. Excited to hear what's next for you!

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Annie Scott's avatar

Ahhh, that's really lovely of you to say - thank you Claire. As you know more than most, friendships are complicated buggers! I wonder if the world of writing escalates this too because there's such a feeling of scarcity around success? The stab of envy is real! x

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Claire Cohen's avatar

YUP. Only room for one woman at the top!

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Annie Scott's avatar

Ugggghhhhh….!

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CeeJay's avatar

Great post. Made me stop and think, thank you.

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John Hardman's avatar

You reminded me of an insight I had: "As an adult, you're responsibile for your own level of resentment." As you point out, it seems the feelings of resentment are often urgings to make changes in our lives. Bon voyage...

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Annie Scott's avatar

Ha - that made me laugh out loud. Very true!

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Elaine R. Frieman's avatar

Love this 🫶🏻

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Annie Scott's avatar

🥰💕

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Steve Mudge's avatar

My long-time friend from college took up tango dancing a few years ago. Kind of a 180⁰ turnaround for someone who was more grunge and pot oriented. I think he heard it was a good place to meet women (still single at 67!). Now his FB posts are about what tango convention he went to, his performance, etc. I don't know if I'm envious or disheartened. I don't do formal dancing (more likely to see me at a rave or Grateful Dead concert escatic dancing 😂). Well, if he's happy, I'm happy but it isn't from us doing stuff together anymore.

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Annie Scott's avatar

Wow! Brave man! I've always quite fancied learning the tango - but am too scared. I can only imagine how much more scary that would be for a 67 year old man (at the risk of sounding massively sexist!). I do think it's unsettling when someone you know does something a bit out there and ballsy... I always get the "fuck, should I be doing tango/life drawing/a mid-life lesbian fling" feeling. Then feel disheartened, as you say - and like maybe I'm dull...

Maybe invite him to come and tango at a Grateful Dead concert?! I've seen they're doing shows with John Mayer at the Sphere in Vegas. I'll see you there with my life-drawing fling...!

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Sarah van Zyl's avatar

I know this feeling. Thank you for being brave enough to talk about it. I think it’s a more common experience than people dare to admit. I don’t often feel outright envy, but there is one person from school that just triggers it in me. I know it’s irrational, but I can’t help it. I definitely see it as an insight into my deeper desires and try to learn from it.

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Annie Scott's avatar

Thanks for joining me in the confession, Sarah! I think it's pretty normal... we just know it's "bad" so don't admit it. I think with school friends it's perhaps especially complicated as there's even more of an element of 'it could have been me', given the similar start in life. My school friends are all in a VERY different life/financial situation to me and I also find it tricky sometimes. So I hear ya!

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Danny Hoback's avatar

An important and profound insight.

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Annie Scott's avatar

Thanks Danny - that's kind.

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