DANCING

 

 

I have loved dancing ever since I can remember. It was a part of my life when I was growing up and it is still important to me now. It has to be the best way to exercise. What can be better than dancing to your favourite songs? I love going to clubs and discos. I can dance all night long. I never get tired of it. When I was small, I used to go to school discos. I’d also dance at the parties my parents, friends and neighbours had. I don’t think I’ll ever stop dancing. I also love looking at dancing. Ballet is beautiful. Dances from all over the world are beautiful. I think the life of a professional dancer must be a good one. One thing that always amazes me is how much children love dancing. I think dancing must be in their blood.

 

 

DANGER

 

 

Danger is everywhere. It’s all around us. That what I’ve decided. I thought about danger the other day and decided we live in a dangerous world. Even our house is full of danger. There are many chemicals in our cosmetics, cleaners, fridges, computers that are not good for us. The electric wiring could go wrong and electrocute us. We could fall down the stairs or slip on the kitchen floor. And then when we leave our house, we enter a dangerous world. Cars travelling at speed, people holding cigarettes, construction workers with heavy objects above our heads… all of these things present danger. Just turn on the news or open a local paper to see how much danger there is. I think I’ll stay in bed today.

 

 

DEATH

 

People say that death is the only thing in life that is certain. That’s true. I’m not afraid of dying, but I do think it’s a sad thing. I’d like to live forever. I like life. I want to see my children’s children’s children grow up. People have different views on death in different cultures. In some countries, you die and go to heaven. In other countries you die and come back to Earth as something else. Some people celebrate people’s death because they had a good life. In other countries, death is a sad and dark affair. I know of many countries where death is a taboo subject. People just don’t talk about it. I have no problems talking about death. Especially to my family. I think it’s useful to tell everyone what I want to happen when I die.

 

 

DENTISTS

 

 

I’m afraid of the dentist. Always have been, for as long as I can remember. Even if the dentist is really, really kind and gentle, I’m still afraid. Even if the dental surgery is colourful and there’s relaxing music, I’m still afraid. Dentists for me haven’t changed a bit. When I was a child, I hated the sound of the drill. That sound is still there today. When I was young, I hated the smell. Same smell today. I can’t wait for the day scientists invent something so we never need dentists. The strange thing is, when I was younger, I wanted to be a dentist. I thought it would be good to treat people just like me. I felt I would understand others who have the same fear. I think I would have been a good dentist.

 

 

Cats

 

There’s a famous song that says “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”. Is that true? Do all women like diamonds? They are certainly very beautiful, especially when you see them sparkling. But really, only rich people can afford diamonds. When I bought my wife’s wedding ring, we could only afford a smallish diamond. There were lots of beautiful rings in the store with huge diamonds but they all cost an arm and a leg. One day I’ll buy her a big diamond as a surprise. Nowadays you have to worry where diamonds come from. Many countries sell diamonds to buy guns and tanks. These are called blood diamonds. If you buy a diamond, make sure it has a certificate so you know which country it came from.

 

DIGITAL CAMERAS

 

 

 

Digital cameras are so useful. I love my digital camera. I take it everywhere with me. My friends think I’m mad, but I’ve got thousands of really good photos. Digital cameras are so much better than the old cameras with film. They’re also much better than mobile phone cameras. My digital camera fits in my pocket and takes great photos. I usually take a few photos every day and then put them online for my friends to see. The best thing about digital cameras is that they are so easy to use. It’s child’s play. The good thing is that digital cameras today give the same quality photos as you could only get on really expensive cameras. All you need is 10 to 12 megapixels. That’s more than enough.

 

 

DIRECTIONS

 

 

I’m hopeless at giving directions. I get very confused. I’m sure I send people in totally the wrong direction. For some reason, I always get stopped for directions in the street. I can usually direct someone if it’s just a block or two, but that’s it. If it’s half way across town, I’ll send you in the opposite direction, guaranteed. The funniest thing is asking for directions in another language. I’m pretty good at saying where I want to go, but when I receive the directions, I understand nothing. I nod my head and smile and say “thank you very much”. The person walks away thinking I understood the directions. I’m impressed by people who can give directions from one town to another. They must have a map inside their head!

 

DISABILITY

 

I think disability can be a difficult thing to understand. It's a word that means many different things. A disability can affect people's body, intelligence and emotions. It makes it more difficult for people to do everyday things properly. Disabled people might tell us something different. Many people with disabilities show us how strong the human spirit is. There are so many people who have been badly injured in accidents, or who were disabled from birth, who are world-class athletes or excel in other areas. It must be hard to deal with disability if it comes to you suddenly. In richer countries, there are support systems to help these people. In poorer countries, they can have a really tough time. Hopefully this will change one day.

 

 

DISCRIMINATION

 

 

I don’t understand discrimination. To me, it’s evil. How can you not think that all people are the same? It doesn’t matter what kind of discrimination it is, it’s all terrible. People who discriminate because of other people’s race, sex or age should be named and shamed. I think there should be really strong laws against all forms of discrimination. Racism is horrible. What difference does it make what colour your skin is? The thing that surprises me is that even in the most cosmopolitan cities, racism is everywhere. Sexual discrimination is also stupid. Sexist people have sisters, mothers, wives, daughters; but they still treat women as being less able. I wonder if we'll ever live in a world where we’re all equal.

 

DISEASES

 

One day, all diseases on Earth will be gone. I wonder. In fact, if all diseases die out or doctors find vaccines and cures for them, that will really change our planet. Think about the amount of overpopulation if no one died from diseases. There’d be a population explosion. I don’t think the Earth would be able to feed so many people. It’s a really difficult question. Some diseases in the world are really horrible and cause a lot of suffering. It would be great if scientists found cures for those. Scientists have already found a cure for many diseases. It’s amazing how far science and medicine have come. I think more cures for diseases could be found if governments spent more money. They seem to spend so little on controlling disease.

 

DIVORCE

 

 

Divorce is on the increase around the world. It seems divorce rates are rising in pretty much every country you read about. I know in my country, divorce is now not unusual. More than thirty per cent of marriages end in divorce. I suppose it’s easier nowadays to get a divorce, and it’s more socially acceptable. I know it was more difficult to get divorced 50 years ago. People thought that there was something wrong with you if you were a divorcee. Today, it’s common to get through two, three, even more marriages. Perhaps people should think a bit more before they get married. Divorce is pretty hard on children. When a divorce gets ugly, the kids really suffer. Sorting out divorce settlements can be a messy business.

 

DOCTORS

 

 

Doctors are cool. They spend all their day helping people and saving lives. There can’t be many better jobs in the world. I wanted to be a doctor when I was a kid but I was no good at science. I think doctors are among the most important people in society. They should get paid lots and lots of money. It’s not right that bankers get paid more. Doctors are really clever and very kind. They never seem to panic or get angry. Every time I’ve seen a doctor, he or she has always made me feel better – not just because of their treatment, but also because of their kindness. It must be amazing being a doctor and knowing all kinds of stuff about the human body. It would be pretty useful being a doctor because then you’d know what was wrong with your own body.

 

DOGS

 

 

There’s an old English saying that says, “A dog is a man’s best friend”. This is true for many people – men and women. Most people I know love dogs. They are pretty cool animals. They are intelligent and very helpful. Dogs are a real member of the family if you have one as a pet. I think dogs are very useful. They keep you company, they bark if a stranger comes near your house, and they fetch your slippers. Not all dogs are nice, though. Some are dangerous. I get sad when I read in the paper about children being attacked by a dog. Owners need to train them better. I also get sad when I read about abandoned dogs. People who want a dog as a pet should get an abandoned one.

 

DREAMS

 

I dream almost every night. I have a lot of dreams and I remember most of them. I’m not sure what they mean. Some of them are quite strange. One day I’ll have to buy a book on dreams and see if I can interpret them. When I was a little kid, I had really bad dreams. Real scary ones. They were probably nightmares rather than dreams. Usually it was some big, bad stranger chasing me. My dreams today are all very different. Sometimes I’m speaking in another language in my dream. The ones I don’t like are the ones where I’m falling. But I my dreams where I’m flying. I sometimes have really nice dreams, but then my alarm clock goes off. I press snooze and try and get back into my dream for another ten minutes.

 

DRUGS

 

 

Drugs are becoming a big problem in many societies. When I was growing up, you rarely heard about drugs. Now, they’re everywhere. Children in schools are smoking marijuana and taking harder drugs. There were many kids at my school who smoked. Nicotine was the most serious drug they used. Today’s kids seem to have access to all kinds of drugs. I don’t know what the government should do about it. Some countries have legalized drugs like marijuana, but others have made it a crime to possess even the smallest amount. You can even go to prison for having a tiny, tiny bit. Governments need to do something before society ends up in a real mess. I’m not sure what the solution is.

DRIVING

 

 

Driving is one of life’s greatest pleasures. There’s nothing better than getting behind the wheel and going for a drive. I live in the countryside, so it’s easy to get out onto an open road. I open the windows and turn the music up and then just drive and drive. I like driving to new areas and finding new roads. I find it very relaxing and great fun. I like the speed and the freedom. I even like driving in towns and cities, although not when traffic is really heavy. It’s not much fun being stuck in a traffic jam half the day. Driving in different countries is great fun. I’m a little nervous at first, but I soon get to know the roads. People have different ways of driving in different countries. I don’t like countries that have aggressive drivers.