The question
What period or moment in your life brought you the most joy?Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
Asked in 52 of the 131 consecutive instalments of The Guardian's The Q&A harvested on 2026-08-29.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
On holiday in Orlando with my wife, Kate, and kids just before lockdown. I wasn’t drinking or gambling. I was so happy, so at peace with myself – I’d been searching for that for many a year.
The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 14 January 2023 source ↗
In recent times, when I was looking after my mum. She would take me on journeys in her mind and I’d travel with her wherever she went. I felt happy that I had the opportunity to have that time despite her illness.
Right now: Summer. Dusk. On my couch watching Australian Open tennis with my kids and dog. Doors wide open to a beautiful body of water. The first star of the night just appeared in the sky. Life is magical.
Recently, when I got out of hospital and into my own bed with my wife and 10-year-old son; we watched some crap television and life had never seemed better.
I look forward to answering that question in 15 years.
Thirty-odd years ago I bought a black pinstripe suit which I thought was £900. But when I went to pay that was just the jacket – the trousers and waistcoat were extra. I didn’t have the balls to put anything back. I dread to think how much it cost me in the end.
When you jump out of addiction and look back, things like drink-driving and sitting in crack houses are not good.
Going back to addiction.
Walsall fans. I wanted to be a good manager but I was really bad with drink and gambling at the time. I should have done better.
For me, love is working through things when it’s not going well.
That materialistic things will not make you happy.
Tom Daley, Steffi Graf, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Ian Wright, Ally McCoist, Bradley Wiggins
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