Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

THERE WAS an old lady who lived next door when I was very young. She’d sit in front of the damp turf fire, keening, “We were brought into this world for pain and suffering, a stór. Pain and suffering!” It must have sunk in, because I failed to be convinced by the “I’m worth it” years and instead wake up this morning in a state of benign resignation rather than bitter resentment. Pain and suffering. Sure. Where do I sign?, writes SARAH CAREY

People say the pain must be distributed fairly. I agree. So let’s get the 40 per cent of people who voted Fianna Fáil for the past 10 years and cut their child benefit by 100 per cent and increase their tax rates to 80 per cent. That’d be fair.