To my cousin P, who was one of my best mates growing up. We lost him when we were in our 20s and, before he passed away, I was so busy with this stupid thing called life and a brand new kid. He called me and said: “Bro, I’m not feeling right.” And I said: “Bro, you’ve never been feeling right.” And it always sits on my head that if me or somebody else had been paying more attention maybe things would have worked out different. He had extremely rare bowel cancer and died five weeks later at 27.
Who most deserves an apology from you, and why?
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Which trait do you most dislike in yourself?
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What is the worst job you have done?
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What is the trait you most deplore in others?
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Relationships
Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
A fixed Guardian Q&A prompt asked directly across respondents and years.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
I did say sorry to my mum, for being the way I was when I was a teenager. You become a parent and go, “Oh my God, this is what they were doing.”
The Q&A, The Guardian, 31 January 2026 source ↗
Others on this question
View all 209 →To my mother for disappointing her. Mummy wanted me to be a different sort of person from who I am, but one can’t change oneself.
To my first husband for being unfaithful, bossy, and eventually leaving him.
My husband, Ludo, for not really getting why war movies are fun to watch.
More from Seann Walsh
View profile →When I was about two, I accidentally knocked a boiled kettle on myself. I am scarred, in many ways, from that.
A house in west London.
Outside my very close-knit group of friends, socially I’m terrible.
I got sacked from TK Maxx for falling asleep under the coats.
Certainty. I also can’t stand it when someone calls you and then says, “Wait, I need to put my headphones in.”
Finding your phone.
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- How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a favourite failure? 63 answers
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