Tough start to the day. I meet my client and her son who was recently expelled from school. They’ve had an argument and she is threatening to have him put in care. I know this is just anger and she doesn’t mean it. We visit his new school, the person we meet with seems clinically depressed. Not a good start, but it’s only a temporary measure. I tell the boy if he makes another mistake, he’ll have me to deal with. I get a smile and a promise not to do anything stupid.

I go to the office and speak with another woman who has been in court this week (she is the victim, not the perpetrator) but the case has collapsed because the police and the crown prosecution service didn’t do their jobs properly. She is exhausted and now has to wait months for the trial to be listed again. I feel for her and wish there was something I could do, but I know there isn’t.

After my working day finishes, I head into town and meet a friend. We eat in a Hare Krishna restaurant and the food is good. Spinach rolls and salad. The Krishna’s look fantastic in their gold face paint.

After that over a couple of cups of tea, served by a waitress with an attitude problem, we discuss our lives, why we do the things we do. Why we’ve packed in jobs and moved cities more times than most people have had hot dinners, why a lot of people settle for things that are a long way short of their potential. Why? Is it fear that holds them back? We feel fear too, but we never let it stop us doing anything. Yet I don’t feel particularly brave.

We head to our respective homes and I text my friend saying that I love our conversations. I receive a reply that I am like a breath of fresh air. I’m almost moved to tears and fall into my luxury bedding and a dreamless sleep.