I would really love to know what all this 'growth' is about. I have lots of life experience. I read a lot. I'm not interested in personal growth. I don't have time to waste on belly gazing.

I now have Republicans telling me that I won't grow if I don't talk to them - probably because they assume I'm an American liberal, and therefore I must be into 'personal growth,' and it would horrify me not to 'grow.'

I'm too busy writing articles to earn a living, exploring the particular place where I'm living (now in Lisbon - moving to Porto next week), taking photographs, cleaning my room, shopping for food, taking long bus rides to see the city, responding to comments on my various articles, helping my daughter with some things, and a thousand other things. I'm 70 years old, and the pace hasn't stopped.

Where does one find all this time to grow? And how does growing benefit me? Reading benefits me. Exploring the world around me benefits me. Thinking and analysing benefits me.

But persona'l growth?

I seriously don't get it.