Gay London Life | Mar '26 Edition - Magazine - Page 46
Topher Taylor
of 2026 so far, which we are used to
after you mentally review certain
in the UK. However, with the current
people – properly – you’ll feel with
political climate worldwide, it feels
fresh horror, “Why exactly was I
marginally bleaker. So today, I am
entertaining this?” Upon review,
clinging to the sunshine and rinsing
the conversation was quite boring.
every second, as it makes me
The writing was on the wall. With no
think forward to sunnier weather,
excitement or fulfilment – they’ve just
happier times, and the comfort of
been taking up emotional bandwidth.
life, perhaps getting a little warmer.
of a ‘season’ and more of an audit.
shirtless man with big bouncing
A time to sit and honestly think
pecs has just jogged past. Heaven.
about what you are bringing into
God, I love men.
the sunnier months with you. We
As we enter Spring, on March
Topher
Talks
I always declare Spring as less
And to make today even better, a
could refer to it as a psychological
20th, I’d say it’s a good time for
declutter or romantic stocktake.
a Spring clean. And no, I’m not
Whatever it is, it’s a great act of self-
talking about hoovering under the
care that you can implement.
rugs and pulling the fridge out –
And this is not limited to
I’m talking about psychologically
people, as technology needs the
and technologically. During the
same energy. Old photos, dead-
colder months and the emotionally
end chats, and dating apps that
clusterfuck that can be the Christmas
don’t serve you. All the crap that
and New Year period, we often cling
you open purely out of muscle
to partners or situationships that
memory. Digital ghosts of almost-
As I sit here typing this, the sun
past keep staring at me here with
don’t serve us.… for the warmth and
flings and nearly-somethings.
has come out for the second time
my laptop, but I don’t care. I am not
for the reassurance.
Our devices can quietly become
in 2026. It’s quite… hot. I can’t
one to give up on D, of any kind – as
Winter has an insidious way of
hoarders of fragments of our past
believe it. I’m sitting in my apartment
you know, and that includes vitamin
lowering standards. And I don’t mean
and mixed experiences. You could
building’s main doorway, with my
D. I’m not missing a SECOND of
catastrophically, but… it does subtly:
say emotional landfill. And yes, it’s
butt inside the door and my feet
this. The weather this year has been
drip by drip. You start tolerating things
not always wise to just wipe the bad
outside. People driving and walking
abysmal. It has rained for over 95%
you would never entertain in July:
memories away, but when it’s all
texts that are a bit dry, energy that
available in the palm of our hands,
feels a bit off, dynamics that don’t
it’s wise to be mindful of that.
serve us, doomscrolling timelines we
know better than to indulge.
Cold weather and dark evenings
Nothing destabilises your
mood quite like accidentally
stumbling across a selfie of
do that. Our complex and ever-
someone who wasted six months
evolving brains, starved of sunlight
of your life while you were simply
and serotonin, gradually decide
trying to survive February. You
that adequate, minimal effort, and
know the way our smartphones
breadcrumbing are somehow
randomly generate these videos of
quite charming. But then… the sun
memories, and it can, sometimes,
comes out. Winter can make life
really throw you off? Nip that in the
feel administrative when Spring and
bud before it happens.
Summer remind us that life can be
cinematic.
Spring cleaning is about
removing irritants from your daily
And like a biological miracle -
existence. Humans, habits, digital
clarity returns. The sunshine brings
clutter, all of it. Do it all. Absolutely
about the idea of possibilities and
anything that drains energy without
better days. To me, it always feels
adding joy must go. Does following
like there’s more to life – things
that influencer on Instagram make
that seemed grey are sparkling. It
you feel bad about yourself? Does
reminds me of opportunities and
that guy on TikTok remind you of your
making memories. I appreciate
ex? UNFOLLOW.
that I’m being overly descriptive of
Today has reminded us that
a few hours of warm sunlight (hey,
warmer days are approaching. In a
I’ve been desperate for it), but I had
world that feels like it’s descending
genuinely forgotten how much better
into cruelty and fascism, a little
life feels when the weather is nice.
sunshine can be an (albeit tiny) tonic.
My advice to you, if you’re
The streets of London are about to fill
feeling unfulfilled by a partner or
with smiling faces, flirtation, bare skin,
situationship, is to now reread
and possibilities… are you ready?
messages, objectively, from the
beginning. You may find that
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@tophertaylor
