What he expected me, a police officer, to do was ludicrous. — Men, it is not “babysitting” when it is your own child. My colleague peacocked around the office. According to him, he was worthy of being nominated as husband of the year. And why? Because he woke from his slumber in the middle of the night to attend to his crying…

I felt the hate of the world on my shoulders — Today marks the first day of my (new) life. I never intended to leave the police. I was in it for the long haul. I was there to fly through the ranks and serve my country. I was dedicated to bringing about justice and helping the vulnerable. Nominated as the…

Enhance your communication skills and deepen your relationships — I strive to be both interesting and interested. You could be the most interesting person on the planet, but if you aren’t interested in others, you will lack the ability to connect. There’s a difference between prying into something that is none of our business and showing an interest in…

Semantics matter; it’s a ‘report’ of sexual violence, not an ‘allegation’ — In my years investigating serious sexual offences, how many perpetrators do you think admitted their crimes? What about the convicted sex offenders I visited in the community to assess their risk to the public. How many of them do you think owned up to their heinous offending? The answer is…

The feelings of missing out on something don’t last forever — This one is dedicated to all those sunlounger hoggers out there. Yes, you know the folk, who wake up early, place a towel on the best sunlounger, so you can’t use it, only to spend most of their day away from the pool. Or what about the panic buyers who…

The Luis Rubiales kiss has become a war of women and the patriarchy are rubbing their hands together in glee — If you live in a city, they say you are only a few meters away from a rat. In my role as a detective, I spent four years managing sex offenders who resided in the community. My job involved visiting them in their home environment and asking intrusive questions to…

Learn to source your self-belief and happiness from within yourself — It’s okay to stand alone and be conspicuous. To find acceptance in standing apart from the crowd, we must recognise our value and learn to be proud of who we are. Do you follow the whisperings of your heart? Or do you allow other people to guide you? I’ve never…

We know the importance of quality time in romantic relationships; what about friendships? — Friendship is considered a noun. But I see it as a verb. In fact, I see all relationships in this way. I passionately believe that the happiness and love we receive from our friends correlate with what we give out. Science even tells us that friendships make us happier. When…

Let’s turn the dialogue around and focus not on how our body looks but on how it feels and what it can do. — Imagine a world where Botox injected kindness and liposuction removed hate. But alas, what is perceived widely as physical beauty has no correlation with valor or virtue. Beauty trends enmesh everyone together. It’s like there’s an image template that women are encouraged to emulate for society to recognise them as…