Nicholas Bate

At Times, Life Is Like...

a bag of cables you keep for any eventuality. The answer is in there somewhere: it just needs careful unravelling.

More here.

At Times, Life is Like...

...public transport buses: they come along in threes. So do Life's opportunities.

At Times, Life is Like a...

holiday turkey. You've tackled it every possible way: roast, hash, sandwiches and soup. And you've lost your passion for it. That's when rice and lentils is good.

At Times, Life is Like a...

magnificent Seville orange bought from the inspiring market in Madrid. Attractive colour, good to hold with its perfect dimpled surface and oh so tempting. But tricky to get into without a bit of mess and then everyone wants a bit.

At Times, Life is Like a...

Pitta Bread. From certain angles it doesn't seem as if you can get much into it. But with a little dexterity it can be packed with all kinds of good, surprising and even nutritious things.

At Times, Life is Like...

...the Fall. Staggeringly, mind-blowingly beautiful. But you do need to tidy up afterwards.

At Times, Life is Like a...

... a bruised banana left in the fruit bowl. Some bits of it are not at all ideal. But overall it's very satisfying and leaves you wanting more.

At Times, Life is Like an...

...Election. There is no way you can fully know what you are going to get until you make the decision. And go for it. Then time will tell.

At Times, Life is Like a...

...beach. From a distance, it's solid and impenetrable. It needs a bit of scuffing with your trainers and scrabbling around on your knees to notice that - right up close - it's pretty granular and can be re-shaped into whatever you fancy. Building sand-castles as a kid was very much practice for the real world.

At Times, Life is Like...

...your physical desk-top. A total, chaotic, entropic system-defying sprawl. But it's in there somewhere.