Upworthy's book GOOD PEOPLE, now available - take a look!

Shop
 Explore 

Add Upworthy to your Google News feed.

Family

Childless people over 50 are honestly reflecting on whether they made the right decision

Spoiler alert: They’re totally fine with it.

childless couples, kid-free life, regrets of seniors

via Pexels

Childless people over 50 discuss their decision.

People who decide not to have children are often unfairly judged by those who chose a different life path. People with children can be especially judgmental to women who’ve decided to opt out of motherhood.

“You will regret it!” is one of the most common phrases lobbed at those who choose to remain childless. Why do people think they’ll have such awful regrets? Because they often say they’ll wind up “lonely and sad” when they’re older.

They also say that life without children is without purpose and that when the childless get older they’ll have no one to take care of them. One of the most patronizing critiques thrown at childless women is that they will never “feel complete” unless they have a child.

However, a lot of these critiques say more about the person doling them out than the person who decides to remain childless.

Maybe, just maybe, their life is fulfilling enough without having to reproduce. Maybe, just maybe, they can have a life full of purpose without caring for any offspring.

Maybe the question should be: What’s lacking in your life that you need a child to feel complete?

Studies show that some people regret being childless when they get older, but they’re in the minority.

An Australian researcher found that a quarter of child-free women came to regret the decision once they were past child-bearing age and began contemplating old age alone.

People revealed the reasons they’ve decided to be childless in an article by The Upshot. The top answers were the desire for more leisure time, the need to find a partner and the inability to afford child care. A big reason that many women decide not to have children is that motherhood feels like more of a choice these days, instead of a foregone conclusion as it was in previous decades.

Reddit user u/ADreamyNightOwl asked a “serious” question about being childless to the AskReddit subforum and received a lot of honest answers. They asked “People over 50 that chose to be childfree, do you regret your decision? Why or why not?”

The people who responded are overwhelmingly happy with their decision not to have children.

A surprising number said they felt positive about their decision because they thought they’d be a lousy parent. Others said they were happy to have been able to enjoy more free time than their friends and family members who had kids.

Here are some of the best responses to the Askreddit question.

1. Never had any desire.

"I explain it to people like this - you know that feeling you get where you just can't wait to teach your kid how to play baseball? or whatever it is you want to share with them? I don't have that. Its basically a lack of parental instinct. Having children was never something I aspired to. My SO is the same way.

"Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against children. And I get really angry at people who harm them or mistreat them. I just never wanted my own." — IBeTrippin

2. No desire. No regrets.

"Nope. It was never something I wanted. No regrets." — BornaCrone

3. Mixed feelings.

"I have mixed feelings. I don't care much for children and I think it would have been disastrous for us to have them. I was also able to retire at 52. Pretty sure that wouldn't have happened with kids. So yeah, absolutely the right decision.
But I love my family and I do wonder what it would be like to have my own, to teach my child the things I know and not to be without someone who cares about me at the time of my death.

"But again, absolutely the right decision and at 55 I'm very happy NOT to have them. This is reinforced every time I'm exposed to other people's kids." — ProfessorOzone

4. They never visit.

"My wife worked at a nursing home for years. Imagine seeing for years that over 95% of old people never have family visit. Till they die and people want a piece of the pie. This when I learned that the whole 'well who is gonna visit you or take care of you when you're older' line is complete bullshit. We decided to not have kids ever after that. Made great friends and saw the world. No regrets." — joevilla1369

5. It wasn't an option.

"I don't necessarily regret not having them, but I regret the fact that I wasn't in a healthy enough relationship where I felt I COULD have children. I regret not being stronger to leave the abuse earlier, if I had been stronger, I think maybe I could have had the choice at least. So yeah... I have regrets." — MaerakiStudioMe

6. Grandkids are cooler.

"No. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to marry my husband. He had two sons from his first marriage and a vasectomy. He was worried because I was so young (comparatively, he's 10 years older). I did think it over seriously and concluded that a life with him compared to a life without him but (perhaps!) with a baby I didn't even have yet was what I wanted. It worked out for us, we've been together for 26 years. As a bonus I have 9 grandchildren. All the fun without the work of the raising!" — Zublor

7. I'd be a bad parent.

"Not one bit. I have never believed that I would be a good parent. I have a short temper, and while I don't think I would have been physically abusive, my words and tone of voice would be harsh in a very similar way to my own father. I wasn't happy growing up with that kind parent and I wouldn't want to subject any child to that kind of parenting." — Videoman7189

8. I'd rather be the cool aunt and uncle.

"No and I found a partner who feels the same. We are the cool aunt and uncle." — laudinum

9. Loneliness is underrated.

"54 yrs.old. I've lived the past 30 years alone. Presently my dog and I are chillin' in a nice hotel on a spur of the moment vacation. I'd maybe be a grandfather by now?! I can't imagine what it would be like to have family. I picture a life lived more "normally" sometimes. All sunshine and roses, white picket fence, etc. but I realize real life isn't like that. No I don't regret being childfree or wifefree for that matter. My life can be boring at times but then I look back at all the drama that comes with relationships and think I've dodged a bullet. I spent 20 years trying to find a wife to start a family. Then I realized the clock had run out, so fuck it, all the money I'd saved for my future family would be spent on myself. Hmmmmm...what do I want to buy myself for Christmas?" — Hermits_Truth

10. No diaper changes and no regrets.

"Nope. I never had the urge to change diapers or lose sleep, free time and most of my earnings. Other people's kids are great. Mostly because they are other people's. When people ask 'Who will take care of you when you're old' I tell them that when I'm 75 I will adopt a 40-year-old." — fwubglubbel

11. Zero desire.

"I’m 55 (F) and never wanted children. I just don’t much like them, and 20+ years of motherhood sounded (and still sounds) like a prison sentence. Maternal af when it comes to cats and dogs, but small humans? No chance.

"And I’m very happy to be childless. Cannot imagine my life any other way." — GrowlKitty

12. D.I.N.K.

"Dual income no kids = great lifestyle!" — EggOntheRun

13. Some regrets

"Over 50 and child free. My only regret is that my wife would have been a great mother, and sometimes I feel like I deprived her of that, even though we both agreed we didn’t want kids. Sometimes I wonder if I pushed her into that decision. She works with the elderly every day and sees a lot of lonely folks so it gets to her sometimes. I was always afraid I’d screw up the parenting thing, so I was never really interested in the idea. I’m a loner by nature though." — Johnny-Virgil

This article originally appeared on 02.08.22

From Your Site Articles

Our favorite giveaway is back. Enter to win a free, fun date! 🌊 💗

It's super easy, no purchase or donation necessary, and you help our oceans! That's what we call a win-win-win. Enter here.

True

Our love for the ocean runs deep. Does yours? Enter here!

This Valentine’s Day, we're bringing back our favorite giveaway with Ocean Wise. You have the chance to win the ultimate ocean-friendly date. Our recommendation? Celebrate love for all your people this Valentine's Day! Treat your mom friends to a relaxing spa trip, take your best friend to an incredible concert, or enjoy a beach adventure with your sibling! Whether you're savoring a romantic seafood dinner or enjoying a movie night in, your next date could be on us!

Here’s how to enter:

Go to upworthy.com/oceandate and complete the quick form for a chance to win - it’s as easy as that.
P.S. If you follow @oceanwise or donate after entering, you’ll get extra entries!

Here are the incredible dates:

1. Give mom some relaxation

She’s up before the sun and still going at bedtime. She’s the calendar keeper, the lunch packer, the one who remembers everything so no one else has to. Moms are always creating magic for us. This Valentine’s Day, we’re all in for her. Win an eco-friendly spa day near you, plus a stash of All In snack bars—because she deserves a treat that’s as real as she is. Good for her, kinder to the ocean. That’s the kind of love we can all get behind.

Special thanks to our friends at All In who are all in on helping moms!

2. Jump in the ocean, together

Grab your favorite person and get some much-needed ocean time. Did you know research on “blue spaces” suggests that being near water is linked with better mental health and well-being, including feeling calmer and less stressed? We’ll treat you to a beach adventure like a surfing or sailing class, plus ocean-friendly bags from GOT Bag and blankets from Sand Cloud so your day by the water feels good for you and a little gentler on the ocean too.

Special thanks to our friends at GOT Bag. They make saving the ocean look stylish and fun!

3. Couch potato time

Love nights in as much as you love a date night out? We’ve got you. Have friends over for a movie night or make it a cozy night in with your favorite person. You’ll get a Disney+ and Hulu subscription so you can watch Nat Geo ocean content, plus a curated list of ocean-friendly documentaries and a movie-night basket of snacks. Easy, comfy, and you’ll probably come out of it loving the ocean even more.

4. Dance all day!

Soak up the sun and catch a full weekend of live music at BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, May 1–3, 2026, featuring Duran Duran, The Offspring, James Taylor and His All-Star Band, The Chainsmokers, My Morning Jacket, Slightly Stoopid, and Sheryl Crow. The perfect date to bring your favorite person on!

We also love that BeachLife puts real energy into protecting the coastline it’s built on by spotlighting ocean and beach-focused nonprofit partners and hosting community events like beach cleanups.

Date includes two (2) three-day GA tickets. Does not include accommodation, travel, or flights.

5. Chef it up (at home)

Stay in and cook something delicious with someone you love. We’ll hook you up with sustainable seafood ingredients and some additional goodies for a dinner for two, so you can eat well and feel good knowing your meal supports healthier oceans and more responsible fishing.

_{^{Giveaway ends 2/15/26 at 11:59pm PT. Winners will be selected at random and contacted via email from the Upworthy. No purchase necessary. Open to residents of the U.S. and specific Canadian provinces that have reached age of majority in their state/province/territory of residence at the time. Please see terms and conditions for specific instructions. Giveaway not affiliated with Instagram. More details at upworthy.com/oceandate}}

From Your Site Articles

planet

Education

Neuroscientists say a simple trick will help you learn any new skill a lot faster

Learning a new skill? Here's how to quickly level-up.

guitar, learning a skill, neuroscience, music, exposure, passive exposure, gardening

via Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels

A woman learning how to play guitar.

Learning a new skill, such as playing an instrument, gardening, or picking up a new language, takes a lot of time and practice, whether that means scale training, learning about native plants, or using flashcards to memorize new words. To improve through practice, you have to perform the task repeatedly and receive feedback so you know whether you’re doing it correctly. Is my pitch correct? Did my geraniums bloom? Is my pronunciation understandable?

However, a new study by researchers at the Institute of Neuroscience at the University of Oregon shows that you can speed up these processes by adding a third element to practice and feedback: passive exposure. The good news is that passive exposure requires minimal effort and is enjoyable.

"Active learning of a... task requires both expending effort to perform the task and having access to feedback about task performance," the study authors explained. "Passive exposure to sensory stimuli, on the other hand, is relatively effortless and does not require feedback about performance."

woman reading, woman book, young woman, studying, new skills A woman reading a book.via Canva/Photos

How to pick up new skills faster?

So, if you’re learning to play the blues on guitar, listen to plenty of Howlin’ Wolf or Robert Johnson throughout the day. If you’re learning to cook, keep the Food Network on TV in the background to absorb some great culinary advice. Learning to garden? Take the time to notice the flora and fauna in your neighborhood or make frequent trips to your local botanical garden.

If you’re learning a new language, watch plenty of TV and films in the language you are learning. The scientists add that auditory learning is especially helpful, so listen to plenty of audiobooks or podcasts on the subject you’re learning about.

But, of course, you also have to be actively learning the skill as well by practicing your guitar for the recommended hours each day or by taking a class in languages. Passive exposure won't do the work for you, but it's a fantastic way to pick up things more quickly. Further, passive exposure keeps the new skill you're learning top-of-mind, so you're probably more likely to actively practice it.

What is passive exposure?

Researchers discovered the tremendous benefits of passive exposure after studying a group of mice. They trained them to find water by using various sounds to give positive or negative feedback, like playing a game of “hot or cold.” Some mice were passively exposed to these sounds when they weren't looking for water. Those who received this additional passive exposure and those who received active training learned to find the water reward more quickly.

gardening, woman gardening, gardening shears, leaning gardening, weeds A woman tending to her garden.via Canva/Photos

“Our results suggest that, in mice and in humans, a given performance threshold can be achieved with relatively less effort by combining low-effort passive exposure with active training,” James Murray, a neuroscientist who led the study, told University of Oregon News. “This insight could be helpful for humans learning an instrument or a second language, though more work will be needed to better understand how this applies to more complex tasks and how to optimize training schedules that combine passive exposure with active training.”

The one drawback to this study was that it was conducted on mice, not humans. However, recent studies on humans have found similar results, such as in sports. If you visualize yourself excelling at the sport or mentally rehearse a practice routine, it can positively affect your actual performance. Showing, once again, that when it comes to picking up a new skill, exposure is key.

The great news about the story is that, in addition to giving people a new way to approach learning, it’s an excuse for us to enjoy the things we love even more. If you enjoy listening to blues music so much that you decided to learn for yourself, it’s another reason to make it an even more significant part of your life.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

This article originally appeared last year.

From Your Site Articles

neuroscience

Business

Career coach shares the best way to answer the question 'Why do you want to leave your current job?'

Always feel prepared.

job interview tips, career coach, career goals, job interviews, economy

Photo credit: Canva

Ace the interview, whether you love your current job or not.

"Why do you want to leave your current job?"

This common interview question can trip up even the most qualified candidates. Should you share specifics, and if so, which ones? Would being vague raise suspicion? Could some details come off as too negative? One career coach offers a smart approach that keeps the focus on the one thing everyone is invested in: filling the vacant role.

"You should frame it as a pull instead of a push," career coach Madeline Mann said in a TikTok video.

Rather than answering the question with common replies such as wanting a different opportunity or having no room for advancement in your current role, which "push" you away from your current employer, shift the focus of your answer to the "pull" of the open position. That includes the job description, the appeal of the company, and the factors that drew you to apply or prompted a recruiter to reach out.

Instead of saying, "I'm looking for a different job," try something like: "I wasn't actively looking for a new role, but after learning about this position, I wanted to know more and share what I could bring to the team."

@selfmademillennial
Nearly every company will ask you why you left your job or why you are leaving your current job, it will sound like: “why did you leave your job?” “Why do you want to leave your current job?” They asked this in the job interview to get an understanding of your motivations and desires. They will also make assumptions that history will repeat itself, so be careful with your answer and what it says about you! Here is how to answer it with answer examples and samples. Follow for more job interview strategies and tips. #JobInterviewTips #JobSearch #jobinterview

Mann said this approach helps you avoid any generic, and sometimes uncomfortable, responses. She argued that it positions you as a qualified candidate who is excited to join the team, rather than someone who can't wait to leave their current one.

Other experts weigh in

Many of Mann's fellow career experts who spoke with Upworthy agreed with her approach and offered additional advice on how to answer, "Why do you want to leave your current job?"

"Madeline Mann's approach in the clip–developing a 'pull' narrative rather than a 'push' narrative–is absolutely spot on," said Lili Foggle, director of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers & Career Coaches Interview Institute. "An interview is a competition, and in most cases there's just one winner. A candidate who is miserable and desperate to leave their current role, is not going to be the number one candidate that they can't wait to hire."

@emily.the.recruiter
How to answer “why are you looking for a new job” in an interview #careertips #interviewtips #interviews #recruiterhack

"'Why are you leaving your current job?' is a common trap," said career coach Brian Pulliam. "Honestly, it's none of their damn business, but it is an opportunity to share more about yourself to help you stand out."

"Responses to questions like these reveal more than 'why' you're really leaving a company. A good manager or HR professional is seeking to learn more about you by asking this," said Dr. Antoinette M. Boyd, a former HR professional and current assistant professor at Maryville University. "For this reason, the best answers combine honesty with information that helps the interviewer understand your current aspirations and future ambitions, so they have an understanding of why this opportunity and company are in alignment with your professional goals."

While the majority of Mann's peers agreed that focusing on the positive aspects of your current role and what you can offer a potential employer is a smart approach, not all of them felt it was the best way to highlight your strengths.

"I respectfully disagree with [Mann's advice] and here's why," remarked career coach Renessa Boley Layne. "There are two things employers are looking for with this question: performance risk and fit risk. Candidates who proactively address both in their answer are the ones who win. This advice, however, runs the risk of marking a candidate as a 'job hopper,' and that's a huge fit risk for managers."

@realisticrecruiting
When you get asked on a job interview, why you want to leave your current job? It is OK to be a passive candidate. It is OK to have options. The best candidates usually do. #jobsearching #jobsearchtips #careeradvice #jobinterviewquestions #jobinterviewtips

Formulaic interview questions or not, it's important to know that the interview process is just as much about you evaluating them as a potential employer as it is about appealing to them as a future employee.

"The biggest miss with interviews is treating it like a test," added Pulliam. "It's far more effective to think of it like 'Career Tinder': you need to know enough to decide if you want to swipe right on them, not just convince them to swipe right on you."

From Your Site Articles

job interview

Pets

Vet demonstrates 'squish the cat' method of safe cat handling in delightfully helpful video

There's a reason Dr. Burstyn's "How to pick up a cat" video has been viewed 23 million times.

cats, pets, cat handling, veterinarian, feline behavior

Helpful Vancouver Vet/YouTube

Handling a cat may seem like a delicate matter, but being delicate isn't actually the way to go.

If you've ever tried to make a cat do something it doesn't want to do, you've likely experienced the terror that a cat's wrath can invoke. Our cute, cuddly feline friends may be small, but the razor blades on their feet are no joke when they decide to utilize them. Even cats who love us can get spicy if we try to manhandle them, so we can imagine how things will go with cats who don't know us well. But sometimes it's necessary to handle a cat even if it's resistant to the idea.

This is where Vancouver veterinarian Dr. Uri Burst yn comes in. His "How to pick up a cat like a pro" video, in which he demonstrates a few ways of picking up and handling a cat, has been viewed over 23 million times since he shared it in 2019. Unlike many viral videos, it's not humorous and nothing outrageous happens, but the combo of Burstyn's calm demeanor and his repeated instructions to "squish that cat" has endeared him to the masses.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

The video truly is helpful; he shows the ways to pick up a cat that make them feel the most secure using his cats, one-year-old Claudia and 14-year-old Mr. Pirate. He explains that cats spook very easily and it's best to introduce yourself to them gently. Let them sniff your fingers, keeping your fingers curled in, and once they've sniffed you, you can often give them a light rub on the cheek or under the chin.

Picking them up is a different story. The reason many cats will claw or scratch you when you try to pick them up is because they feel unsupported or unsafe, so they'll scramble around trying to get some footing. Burstyn shows how he picks up Claudia with one hand under the chest and one hand under her abdomen. If he needs to carry her around, he squishes her into his body so she feels "nice and supported." He may even put a hand under her front paws.

cats, pets, cat handling, veterinarian, feline behavior Cats can be finicky about how they're held. Photo credit: Canva

Then came the best part of the video: "Squish That Cat"

"Now if we do have a cat who's trying to get away from us?" Burstyn said. "We always squish that cat. If you're trying to hold the cat down, whether it's to trim their nails or to give them a pill, or whether you just want to have a cat not run off for a moment, squish that cat. All you need to know about cat restraint is to squish that cat."

Burstyn explains that cats generally feel very secure being squished, even if they're really scared.

"Sometimes cats come to me in the clinic, and they're quite afraid," he said. "And you just gently squish them, and they'll sit there and kind of not hurt themselves, not hurt us. Just hang out and let us do our thing."

He demonstrated putting a towel over the cat, explaining, "If you have a towel handy, this is one of the best cat restraint tools around. You can just throw a towel on the catty and squish her with the towel, that way they won't get a claw into you if they are scrambling about a bit. Very safe and gentle, and generally cats are very, very happy to be squished like that."

cats, pets, cat handling, veterinarian, feline behavior Squish that cat. Photo credit: Canva

Dr. Burstyn also showed how to do a "football hold," tucking the cat under your arm with them facing backwards. "So this is kind of an emergency way if you really need to carry a cat somewhere in a hurry," he said. Scooping up Claudia, he explained, "Little head's under your arm, butt in your hand, and you squish her tight to your body. And with that little football carry, you can basically hold a cat very securely and very safely, because it's really hard for them to rake you with their hind legs."

If you're worried about over-squishing your cat, Dr. Burnstyn says don't. "You don't have to worry about hurting a cat," he said. "They're very, very tough little beasts. You know, just squishing them against your body's never going to do them any harm. In fact, they tend to feel more safe and secure when they're being held tightly."

Dr. Burnstyn also demonstrated how to pick up and set down a "shoulder cat" who insists on climbing onto people's shoulders and hanging out there, as Mr. Pirate does. It's highly entertaining, as Mr. Pirate is a big ol' chonky kitty.

@yozron
she loves my shoulders i guess #catcore #kittendad #kittensoftiktok #cat #fyp

People in the comments loved Dr. Burnstyn's demonstration, with several dubbing him the Bob Ross of veterinary medicine. Even people who don't have cats said they watched the whole video, and many loved Claudia and Mr. Pirate as well.

"This is just proof that cats are liquid."

"12/10 cat. Excellent squishability."

"So essentially, cats love hugs? That's the most wonderful thing i've heard all day."

"This cat is so well mannered and looks educated."

"Mr Pirate is an absolute unit."

"S q u i s h . T h a t . C a t ."

"I need 'Squish that cat' shirt.

"Dang, that actually helped with my female cat. She has been through at least two owners before me and had some bad expriences which obviously resulted in trust issues. She has now been with me for two years and it had gotten loads better, but she still did not want me to hold her. Normally I simply would have let her be, but for vet visits and such it was not an ideal situation. But then I saw this video and tried to squish the cat. And she loves it! She is turning into quite the snuggly bug. Thank you!"

So there you go. When all else fails, squish that cat and see what happens.

You can follow Dr. Burstyn on YouTube at Helpful Vancouver Vet.

From Your Site Articles

pets

Pets

Ancient Romans loved their dogs. Here's what their heartbreakingly beautiful epitaphs said about them.

"My eyes were wet with tears our little dog, when I bore you to the grave."

ancient romans, romans, dogs, roman dogs, dog epitaphs, dog graves, epitaph

Photo credit: Canva

An ancient mosaic of a dog.

Ancient Romans—they're just like us. At least when it comes to how much they love their dogs, that is.

Pliny the Elder (23–79 A.D.), the Roman author and scholar, described dogs as "man's most faithful companion" in his Naturalis Historia. He also wrote: "The dog alone knows his master, and he alone recognizes his own name. He alone, too, in his master’s defense, will lay down his life; and, let his master die, he will remain on the watch by the body."

The Romans' devotion to their dogs was made clear in the epitaphs they wrote for their dogs as inscriptions on their tombstones. David Ian Rowe, an American anthropologist and archeologist who specializes in ethnocynology, "the study of dogs in human cultural contexts," shared a number of heartbreakingly beautiful epitaphs the Ancient Romans wrote in honor of their beloved dogs. (They'll surely bring a tear to your eye.)

Howe explains in the video's intro that these epitaphs were originally written in Latin. Here are ancient Roman epitaphs that expressed how much they loved their dogs.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Epitaph #1

"Myia never barked without reason. But now she is silent."

Epitaph #2

"Surely even as thou liest in dead in this tomb, I deem the wild beasts yet fear thy white bones."

Epitaph #3

"My eyes were wet with tears our little dog, when I bore you to the grave. So Patricus, never again shall you give me a thousand kisses. Never can you be contentedly in my lap. In sadness have I buried you, and you deservest. In a resting place of marble, I have put you for all of time by the side of my shade."

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Epitaph #4

"Here the stone says it holds the white dog from Melita, the most faithful guardian of Eumelus. Bull, they called him when he was yet alive. But now his voice is imprisoned in the silent pathways of the night."

Epitaph #5

"Ye who pass this monument laugh not, I pray thee, for this is a dog's grave. Tears fell for me and dust was heaped above me by a master's hand."

Epitaph #6

"I am in tears while carrying you to your last resting place. Much as I rejoiced when brining you home in my own hands fifteen years ago."

@davidianhowe
Greco-Roman dog epitaphs. #AncientRome #Rome #AncientHistory #ClassicalCivilization #Dogs #epitaph #Anthropology #Archaeology #History

From other sources

The last epitaphs come from The British Museum and the University of Arizona, respectively:

Epitaph #7

"Gaul gave me my birth and the pearl-oyster from the seas full of treasure my name, an honour fitting to my beauty. I was trained to run boldly through strange forests and to hunt out furry wild beasts in the hills never accustomed to be held by heavy chains nor endure cruel beatings on my snow-white body. I used to lie on the soft lap of my master and mistress and knew to go to bed when tired on my spread mattress and I did not speak more than allowed as a dog, given a silent mouth No-one was scared by my barking but now I have been overcome by death from an ill-fated birth and earth has covered me beneath this small piece of marble. Margarita (‘Pearl’)." - The British Museum

Epitaph #8

"How sweet that one was, how kind, who, while she was living, used to lie down in the folds of my toga always aware of sleep and a bed. O what a wicked deed, Myia, that you have perished. Just now you would bark, if any rival were lying down near your lady, wanton one. O what a wicked deed, Myia, that you have perished. Now the lofty tomb holds you unaware of life, you are neither able to rage nor leap, nor will you shine back to me with flattering bites." - University of Arizona

From Your Site Articles

roman dog epitaph

Joy

A cozy bookstore in Scotland lets you sleep upstairs while you 'live out a dream' selling books

The money raised goes to support the town's annual book festival.

The Open Book, Scotland, bookstore, books, traveling, Wigtown Book Festival

Photo Credit: Colin Tennant, Flickr, Canva

The Open Book in Wigtown, Scotland

Burrowed in the green Dumfries and Galloway county of Scotland, is a cozy bookstore. But this isn't just any bookstore. Sure, it has plastic-covered hardback books lining old wooden shelves. Yes, it has the occasional stool for sitting and reading a chapter or two. But what makes this particular bookstore stand out is one can actually rent and live in it, and help sell books.

It's called "The Open Book," and it's a bookshop with a warm, cheery flat upstairs. A person can rent it out for a snippet of time using Airbnb, and work at the store downstairs in whatever capacity they choose. Chris Lawlor (self-described Scotland promoter) shared a clip on his Instagram breaking down the whole genius operation.

See on Instagram

Over various photos of the unique spot, a voiceover of Lawler asks, "Did you know that in Scotland, there's a bookshop you can actually live in and run yourself for a week? It's part of a unique experience where you're handed the keys before heading up the stairs to relax and sleep. Then waking up and opening the doors to live out a dream job of running a cozy bookshop called The Open Book in Wigtown."

The street is riddled with other bookstores Lawler shares: "With eight bookshops on your doorstep...the money collected during your stay goes toward the town's annual book festival."

While versions of this Reel have been posted by others, Lawlor's clip has well over half a million likes and thousands of comments from enthusiastic travelers. Some are just in disbelief. "What? I just watched this 3 times to make sure I wasn't dreaming. I can live in and run a bookshop? Dreams do come true! Holy smokes. I'm shook. This is the coziest, dreamiest, most brilliant idea ever!" wrote one.

The Open Book, Scotland, bookstore, books, traveling, Wigtown Book Festival A person browses at The Open Book in Scotland.Photo Credit: Colin Tennant, Flickr

A few note the ingenious business model, with one writing, "Cracking business idea. Free staff!"

And though some point out that the waitlist is rather long, they're adding it to their "to do" lists. One writes, "As a retired librarian, this would be a dream vacation--wait, I visit Scotland every year for the last 11 years. Why haven't I done this already? Lol OK, new item on my bucket list."

Having begun in the 1990s, the Wigtown Book Festival is quite the event. On a page of their website they explain, "Booked through Airbnb, paying guests live in the self-catering apartment upstairs and run the bookshop below it for the duration of their stay. During their stay, guests are free to change displays, price books, re-categorise them, and make inventive use of the blackboard that entices visitors in to browse or chat. Some guests are happy to quietly run the bookshop, while others come with firmer plans and creative ideas!"

The Open Book, Scotland, bookstore, books, traveling, Wigtown Book Festival The bedroom for rent above The Open Book in Scotland.Photo Credit: Colin Tennant, Flickr

Writer Freya Parr documented her experience at the shop in 2019 for The Guardian. After explaining it was the "brainchild" of Jessica Fox, she shares that she and her boyfriend had a wonderful time. " If we weren’t being entertained by the customers, it was the other booksellers, who welcomed us like old friends. We became as much of a tourist attraction for the locals as the place was for us, and the conversations we had were worlds away from those back home. Nobody cared what our jobs were–they were more interested in what had brought us here."

On the Airbnb site, they add how it works: "The first ever bookshop holiday / residency experience, Scotland's National Book Town welcomes you to play-bookshop for a week or two. We'll give you your very own apartment and bookshop below, supported by a team of friendly volunteers to make your trip as lovely as possible. Set up by The Wigtown Festival Company, The Open Book's aim is to celebrate books, independent bookshops, and welcome people around the world to Scotland's National Book Town."

The reviews from people who have taken part in this unique experience as recently as last month are stellar. One writes, in part, "Running The Open Book bookshop for a week was utmost fun! We met lots of travelling booknerds who popped in and many of the friendly Wigtown locals. It's a charming little town surrounded by beautiful nature. We got home yesterday and I miss being in the bookshop already."

From Your Site Articles

scotland