Gyles Brandreth

One was, when you're with someone, or in fact through life, as often as possible to be in the now.

And that's more than just being in the moment.

People always say, you know, carpe diem, live in the moment.

But be in the now, meaning this very moment.

And not just your own now, but the now of the person you're with.

And that's something that struck home with me because, as you've told me, as my wife Michelle tells me, I talk too much.

And for me, the great joy of Rosebud has been learning to listen.

No, you don't.

Actually, you don't.

What I think he meant by being aware of the now is there's sometimes when it's fun for me to come into the room, bouncing off all the walls, being tigger-like and, you know, telling my amusing stories.

But there are other times when it can still be me

I can come into the room.

But being in the now, I listen to you.

And your now might be slightly different from my now.

And I think what I was being told by the chaplain about what he'd been told by the man whose funeral we were at was the now isn't just your now.

It's the now of the people you're with and around.

So I learnt that.

And the other thing I learnt from him is that this chaplain had been to see him and with some problems in his parish, maybe his family, I don't know.

But anyway, a lot of problems.

He unburdened himself to Richard, who then said to him, hold on, because this man was saying, you've got to change this, you've got to change that.