Lockdown and the unsolicited advice epidemic

It came to a head last night, when a sweet, well-meaning friend suggested that I go for a walk.

I’d been prickly all day. Loose where I should be tight, and tight where I should be loose. My feelings were all over the place, and I had no thoughts or facts to match them up to — just a sense that there was a layer of tepid, dirty dishwater between my skin and my bones. It wasn’t fair, but I couldn’t have told you what it was.

When it comes to managing my feelings, I’ve put the bloody hours in. After a couple of decades of trial…