Say What You Mean
WOMAN'S WEEKLY|April 18,2017

It took her a long time – 52 years, to be precise – but Fiona Gibson has finally started to say what she actually wants to

Fiona Gibson
Say What You Mean

When I was younger, I used to look forward to being confident enough to speak up in any situation. And yet, when I reached adulthood, with a demanding full-time job, and by my mid-thirties, a mother of three, I still frustratingly reverted to being a tongue-tied teenager in times of stress.

Take, for example, the new neighbour I’d regularly see in the street. Although we’d always say hi, and she had introduced herself, her name had promptly fallen right out of my head. ‘Hi, Fiona,’ she’d say cheerfully. ‘Hi,’ I’d reply, aware of an embarrassing void where her name should have been.

As time went on, this became even more awkward. ‘Just follow her up the street,’ my husband Jimmy advised, ‘and shout out random names. You’ll know you’ve hit on the right one when she turns around.’ How ridiculous, I scoffed. ‘So, just ask her, then.’

This story is from the April 18,2017 edition of WOMAN'S WEEKLY.

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This story is from the April 18,2017 edition of WOMAN'S WEEKLY.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.