sisterhood & surviving your 20s
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Who's older? Who do you think's older? Oh wait, am I guessing? Who do you think's older? I just think you're giving business casual right now and I think you're giving... Is that the waistcoat? Yeah, it's the waistcoat. The waistcoat gave it away.

No but you know what? And the bad driving story before this gave it away as well as so that's so younger sister. Yeah. Thank you. Is it just the two of you or do you have other siblings? No. There's four of us. Oh my God. Same as myself. Well the half half bonus sister came in afterwards but really four. Yeah. There's I'm the oldest then you. Yeah. And then we've two younger sisters. Are you older? What? All four girls. Four girls?

Our poor dad. Yeah. There's a lot of us. Yeah, we had to get a male dog when we were younger to balance the hormones. The masculine energy. Yeah, we needed something. Was there a lot of fighting? Yeah. Not to fall into the stereotypes, but like, come on. Yes. You know, the sister's fighting. We didn't stop fighting until... We all moved. Me and Megan didn't talk to each other basically until I moved out. I think we were too close in age that we just were killing each other. Are you Irish twins?

Basically like there's like 18 months. Yeah, it's just over just a bit over a year. But now we love each other. Now it's great. Prove it. How much do you love each other? What's the dynamics been like since, I mean, the transition between childhood to adulthood and your dynamics and how it's changed as sisters? I think it's so different now. I think like we, well, we talk every day now because we don't live in the same house anymore.

I think we always say we get on best when we're actually not together for like a long period of time. Yeah, it's true. It does heal your relationships as an adult. It does though. You're two on top of each other. That's it. Yeah. But I think we also, like our whole family, we're in like habits from when we were younger that like every time we're at home, we go into these like little roles that like Megan's the oldest sibling again. I tell her to put her tea cup in the dishwasher. And that's why we kill each other because we're like...

We're not that much more. Okay, come on. Let's hash it out. What are the pet peeves? Go on. Lay it all on the table. Megan is like as organized as you could possibly imagine. Like everything's together. Yeah, that's all good sister. But I'm trying to work on it. Like I'm trying to take a bit of your. No, but I love it. But it's great.

Yeah. But that's why we clash because I'm raging ADHD so I'm like the opposite. Yeah. But we are working on it. We're better than we were. It's all about balance. Yeah. Balancing each other out. Well that's why we work. That's why I think we work well together. Yeah. 100%. And what do you admire about each other? Traits that you'd like to adopt maybe? Your creative...

brain I think like I I really admire it and I think like as a writer especially even though I'm older I admire your writing ability and it inspires me and I think also you just don't take things too seriously I'd like to improve on that okay cute they're good ones for you girl Megan's like the best friend ever like if you've like Megan as a friend it's like

you based it. I just feel like you're so loyal and you have so many like brilliant friendships that it's just like you have time for everybody and you can tell when you're spending, you know, when you're with somebody, you're with them. I love, yeah. Do you not feel like a good friend? Oh no. No, I do. I do. I feel like I have amazing friends, but I feel like you've, I've struggled with friendships in the sense that like,

I've moved around a lot so I have friends in loads of different places yeah and it's like keeping in touch with those friends but I think they're really deep friends they are I've yeah I have amazing amazing friends yeah but whereas I think whether I'd still be friends with like school friends oh I guess to a certain so it's kind of like just different yeah but that's but separate to that I just think yeah you're a great friend and how did you get to working together how

How did it How did that transpire In your relationship Desperation to work Really I think We were doing plays together When you were kids We do have parents That are like Get up there now Do a song Oh yeah We were to be fair Yeah Like every family dinner We have a big family Like cousins And it would always be like Okay now the Dinner is over Megan's monologue Yeah I used to do a monologue About chocolate That people still are like Would you ever do that mom Oh come on My granny My granny is still like Do you remember it No Come on

my granny's still like if I got my friends up now would you ever do the monologue it's so funny and then you'd sing oh from Les Mis the Cosette song yeah it was a cat's out of the lake I was so nervous oh yeah it's more nerve wracking performing in front of your friends oh yeah it's terrible because it's just dance island you can see their

full thing even now and then you know what's coming and then the anxiety I was like yeah even when we did a reading of our show last year in Cork all our family came we were like to our grandparents like oh do you know what did you think and stuff and it's like they're the people that you actually care the most about yeah um but I think it was like a desperation as well for like not getting work or like you know wanting to make our own work it was mainly during COVID we were both just like

lost, had no idea what we were doing. You were back from London, I was back from New York and we were just like, we've no idea what we're going to do next. Neither of us, we were both out of jobs. Yeah. We were like, well, we write a play. Like, it's not that hard because we've done like a few short films and stuff together on like no budget, like nothing. We just, so we were like, yeah, we'll just write a play together. And then three years later, we're finally doing it. But like, as in, we didn't realize, I don't think.

the work that goes into putting it up. It was because we had similar phases in our lives. Yeah. I think that's, that was the like Venn diagram of like what can we both relate to that we can talk about. And is your background in performing arts? Is that what you were doing in your traditional jobs before COVID? Yeah.

I nannied. Okay. Yeah. So kids. Sorry. Yeah. So like I would. I've taught drama and stuff. Yeah. But then like nannying and minding kids and stuff. And then I've done a million different jobs. Nanny also. Yeah. We don't know how you nannied. No. Can you tell the story about the little girl? No. My family were so shocked when I started nannying. Like so shocked. Yeah.

but it was the little girl story is that bad to say what one so Shannon was minding his family in Manhattan

lovely families like and there was this little girl, Cillian will be traumatised as well, she's a really cute little girl and she was bringing her for a little walk and the little girl fell asleep and her neck was like that. Oh yeah. And she sent a photo to my mum saying, is this normal? Like should I leave the kid's neck like this? And we were like, Shannon, lift the poor baby. It's because I didn't know how to work the braham. It was my first day. I didn't know how to put it back. I didn't know how to put it back and I was trying and I knew loads of people were looking at me and like looking into the braham and I knew something wasn't right.

But yeah, my mom was like, Jesus, you can't go back to the mom like that. You actually said you loved it. I loved it. I didn't think I would. Because I usually like, I think because there's four of us, we have loads of cousins. Yeah. And I was never the one that the kids gravitated towards. So I was always like, maybe I'm not for the kiddies. But I liked it. And I did like video editing, worked in retail.

Sold clothes, sold, I don't even know, any type of job. And could you just explain a little bit what the premise of the play is about? Quirtazol is a show, it's a queer coming of age play all about being in your 20s and it focuses on one woman's life, Sam, as she goes from seven to 27 in Ireland. So it's like a metamorphic timeline. So it goes from childhood nostalgia to present day chaos.

And Sam goes through heartbreak for the first time, grief, long distance friendships, figuring out her sexuality. And I think for us, like the main thing at the end of the show is that like she doesn't have it all figured out. And that was like what we really wanted to like hit home was was like we still don't have a clue what we're doing and it's OK that like it's OK to be

To be okay in the figuring out of life. Have you enjoyed doing it together? Or are you just butting heads? No, it's been actually great. We don't butt heads in work stuff really. Well, actually that's a lie. In the writing of the play we don't. And I think a lot of the work that we did on the play was when we were apart. Like we do work on Zoom or we do work

when we'd write a bit separately or Meg would write some someday and then pass it over to me and then I'd do some work. And then we'd have days where we'd work together. I think the writing was the fun part. It was the more getting it to production.

I think it's the harder part. Because we've never done it before. We've never done it. Yeah. Can you tell me more about that? Because I don't know how that works. Yeah. Like, I suppose... I still don't know. Yeah. Like, I suppose you can do a play with no money, no budget in a theatre. You could do it in a pub upstairs or you can do it and have like dreams and aspirations to do it in like the Abbey or something, you know? Like, so it's just like, what is your goal? So I suppose we...

We wanted to, like, take our time with it, to not rush it. And initially we tried for, you know, like, Arts Council funding. Yeah. And we were like, that would be best case scenario, you know, everyone gets paid right, everyone, like, you know, all our ideal visions for the play would be, like...

Yeah. But we didn't get it. We were unsuccessful. Oh no. Yeah. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone who's been successful. And like we got like we had feedback from them and like they were like great like we can't wait to see it. And we're like yeah. It's like if it goes ahead. You fuckers. I was like any feedback like you could give us on the application they were like no it was great. Perfect. Is it a raffle or do they actually filter through all of them? They do. But there must be so

many like they do filter through but like obviously it's so it's Ireland so like obviously there's top theatre companies that get it every year and then it's like you know we're new so like people don't know us yet oh okay so I'm not saying that's the reason but

I suppose our show is being produced by Once Off Productions. So they're like a Dublin Quirk based production company, which we're delighted about because they know what they're doing. So it's like if we have any questions or anything like Saib in particular, we've been able to ask her because otherwise we're clueless. You're just kind of learning as you go. Yeah. But it's interesting, like even I suppose, even like selling tickets and all that stuff. If we didn't have like the TikTok that we have now,

I don't know. Like, and it's really hard, like, to, you know, to be a show. So I think, like, we're so lucky in the sense that, like, yeah, that we've had that and we've been, like, working on that for the past year that, like,

we have an audience that want to see are excited to see the show which is amazing but that's like why we started social media for it because it was like so much of the process is out of your control and as the more we were doing it the more we were like you don't have control over whether people give you funding you don't have control over whether people are saying like yes we want to take this on but like we have control over like connecting with an audience or you know taking those steps yeah beforehand so I think it was just important that we were like

This play is for people in their 20s, for anyone else that's feeling like lost, confused, doesn't know where they're at. The way to like connect with those people is where we all are, which is like online. So do you have any advice then for people who want to start expressing themselves creatively? It doesn't have to be a play or a short film, maybe something else.

Because I didn't know you needed funding for these things. I was just like, you make money from ticket sales. So that was a favorite thing. You don't think about the behind. Because I go to play, I volunteered at the Fringe Festival. That was my first ever job. And I'd go to plays. I did acting. But you never think about the business side of things. Especially if you are creative. You just don't think of the money. Oh, yeah. You're just like, I want to go on stage. That's it. I want to go on stage.

Like the budget We're like Oh Like the bunch of times We've gone Can we just go through The budget And it's crazy Like the money Just you know So what does the money Actually go on You have to So like our director Yes We've got a lighting designer A sound designer A costume and set designer Jesus Yeah We've got like marketing So like

flyers, posters, program, rehearsal venue. Sometimes you pay for the cost of the, not with Fringe, but like you might have to pay for like the theater that you're performing in if it's not part of a festival. What else?

So much things. And you have to pay yourselves. Well, yeah. You don't pay yourselves, no. Not yet. Yeah. Okay. In an ideal world. So this really is starving artists. You're just doing it for the fun. Yeah. Well, yeah. We're just doing it as like we believe in it. Okay, that's fair enough. And we're like, it's just a stepping stone. We know that there will be a day that we can make money off it, but we're just like...

like if this means we just have to put everything into it and just like struggle for a bit longer then it is what it is so is it like experience yeah yeah I suppose and it's just again because we are so new to this it's just like getting our work out there and like getting eyes on it and getting people to like now depending on ticket sales you might get a small bit of money but it might but you know it like yeah it's more about we wanted to make sure we paid our whole team properly yeah

And that's why Once Off came on as well about, you know, helping us to understand that. We people message us saying, I haven't been to the theatre in so long, but I saw that like, you know, like young people, like, you know, people our age, they were like, we haven't been to the theatre and we went to see the show and like, you know, wow, like we could really relate. And we were like, wouldn't it be great if it was like, got more people to the theatre? Because I feel like

it can be quite inaccessible to people. And like, that's to do with probably like ticket prices sometimes, or like, I don't know, not reaching the right audience. But we were even saying like on the way here, I went to a show recently on my own and like sat, turned my phone off for like two and a half hours. And I was like, wow, like, I don't know. It's just a lovely thing to do where you're not on your phone. Yeah. And it's like a live experience and you're all experiencing the same thing at the same time. I just feel like

doesn't happen anymore it's so underrated yeah it really is my mom from a young age has always brought us to plays yeah and

I only got into it because I was in musical theatre so you'd want to see your friends perform and you know what goes in behind it with all the rehearsals and it's a really nice heartwarming feeling but the best way this is a little secret guys if you want to volunteer for the Fringe or the Dublin Theatre Festival you get free tickets to every single show which is unbelievable I was going to the Lear every single day all I had to do was let people in and then I could sit on the show afterwards I was so cultured afterwards I couldn't believe it and I was like wait I'm actually critiquing these in my head I kind of

know what I'm talking about you know because then you can actually build up an opinion you do because at the start when I used to go with my mom I would just wait for her opinion and I just be like was that good or not because I'm just like I like the experience of going to the theatre and sitting there and seeing people acting you know seeing their faces and their sweat and seeing them breathe and if they like forget their lines or whatever my mom used to get the you know the what's that called when it's before the opening night the preview so it was always cheaper yeah so they would sometimes fuck up or

whatever. So it was actually nicer. Probably a good time to see it because it's real. Yeah, it was really, it was very real. So I've loved it since then. But now I've been able to form my own opinions of whether something is good or not. And yeah, it's brilliant. It's really nice to see things in real life. And I saw a play recently and it was all young people, young writer, young actors and the whole crowd, everyone was young. So I feel like it's getting hip. Yeah, which is trending. Which fuck I love.

I love that. But I think people are sick of being on their phones and they want something else. But I do. I think genuinely it's just now it's just annoying. It's just like I just I would love somebody to just take it away and just be like you actually can't go on it. I know. But one aspect it's really good because obviously you're able to promote your play. 100%. Because I wouldn't have found you. I know. You know. And

I can, you know, work. Yeah, of course. The whole like scrolling aspect of it. You don't realize how much of a negative impact it's having on you until like you come away from it. And you're like, oh wait, I wasn't anxious or depressed at all. Until that happened. Yeah. Yeah. We were even saying like, it's crazy how you can be scrolling, you know, you're looking at like

a war that's happening or you're looking and then you're looking at someone's cute dog and then you're looking at someone's like outfit of the day and then you're you're looking at something else it's like quickly process emotions it's like yeah it is crazy but it's i think it's desensitized us 100 because i've noticed now i was obviously i've been on the internet for years but i've been always doing long form content yeah so it was slightly different but like now with tiktok and reels and everything it's just going so so fast that you can't process what's going on and then it's like

overstimulating yeah um and people's attention spans are getting so fucked up but also the lack of empathy i feel like it's having on people we said that like you're so disconnected so disconnected reality yeah it's like dehumanizing the people that you see because it's so fast it's like these are just numbers on my phone and not actually real people yeah whereas like yeah no not at all back in the youtube days yeah you know people were actually more humanized i felt like because you got to know them of course on more of a personal level that's so true

and that's why I love YouTube and I love podcasting but it's just like TikTok and Instagram is kind of you have to do for your job to promote things because it's the fastest way to get things out but it's also frustrating that we that's the way we have to do it I know because it comes and goes so fast is there any nice parts of the internet that you like how do you like to consume social media I love podcasts yeah yeah like I feel like if I'm anxious or having a bad day I like go for a walk and put a podcast in because I don't I don't feel like that's

I know it is social media, but it's like, I don't know.

I don't know I don't feel like I'm physically on it like that yeah watching it yeah and you can learn yeah you can learn so you can learn loads of things and it makes you definitely feel less lonely when I was postpartum I'd put a podcast on even my baby she'd get comforted if her voice was on in the background if I was like taking a shower yeah no I was putting on my own podcast obviously so she was like but that's lovely she was like wait mama that's so cute I know I was like this is a genius idea and now if my sister's minding her she's like do you want to see mama

puts me on the telly that's actually so nice I know that's such a positive aspect of it that she can watch it like whenever she wants I know I need to stop cursing for fuck's sake she's gonna be like I know she's got that's my mom she's really bad she actually is saying curse words now that's so cute I know it is so cute when they say fuck like we are younger sister when she was like oh I'd say she was four no baby she used to do this

fucker. No, it was, first it was the middle fingers and then my mom had to tell her, she was doing it so often that my mom had to tell her that this was actually way worse than doing like the middle fingers. And we used to be like, my mom would be like, don't laugh, don't laugh. No, and I have the funniest photo. It's my confirmation. So I'm in like my confirmation gown and like, my whole family are taking the photo and the bishop is like walking past and Aaron's like,

It's hanging on our wall. What a legend. Oh my God, that's so funny. What about you with social media? I watch YouTube. Yeah. I think I watch YouTube the most, to be honest. Like if I just want to like chill, I just put on any YouTube day in the lives. Honestly, just like I just need to watch something that's like doesn't have a lot going on. Relaxing. Just relaxing and just somebody talking, which is probably the same as a podcast, but just like visuals. Do you feel any pressures in any way living in London? Yes, I know. Like I feel...

I feel, well, I don't know, this is such a silly thing, but like even like what I wear and stuff, like I feel like in London, you're going to be whoever you want to be in a way, like because there's so many people, which comes with negatives as well in terms of like that it's, you're kind of, you know, it's quite lonely as well. Like I feel like it's a lonely place when you're not surrounded by people and it's really expensive. Like it's, it is really expensive. Yeah.

But pressure, I suppose, career-wise, like, yeah, there's always a pressure. I feel like, I do feel like you're always trying to live up, even your own pressure. I feel like I put a pressure on myself to, like, I'm in London now, so I have to go to all these, like, you know, networking events or, like, you know, keep, always have something going. Yeah. So, yeah, I suppose, subconsciously, I probably do always feel, oh,

always feel the pressure yeah I think when you're in your 20s as well I've personally I've hated being 26 it's actually been my least favorite age I just turned 26 it's it's actually the worst age I don't know what 25 is so sexy 24 is like you're young and fun you know young and dumb whereas 26 is like you're in between it's like being in purgatory yeah I'm really yeah it made me really scared

I don't know what. Yeah, but before I was just, I just, I don't know why 26 just feels, it just feels different. Yeah, it's like existential. 25, you're right. 25 is still like cute. Yeah. Like you can still, you're still a kid. I'm so old, I'm 27. You're a baby.

but then they say 27 is supposed to be like a Saturn returns like you were I don't know you change a lot oh it's supposed to be the chaos my friend Bronte was saying this to me yeah 27 to 30 she was like I was telling her something I was like the drama that's going on in my life right now she goes Saturn returns that's so much yeah I was like well that's it it's on the planet yeah that makes so much sense it's not me I'm not toxic at all yeah

I think at this phase in my 20s I'm so pressured to be like the most successful I've ever been oh yeah which makes absolutely no sense because of the timeline of your life obviously things can change so much I know from my family and friends and people around me if I was only focusing on the people that I know personally yeah like my auntie for example she's been her most successful in the age she is now yeah in her 50s that's

But I'm like, I need to be a millionaire. I need to be a business owner. I need to be, you know, but that's because of social media. I was just going to say it's because of social media. The algorithm only pushes people. And obviously the people I watch is like young moms. Yeah. And they're all like millionaires in their beach houses in LA. But obviously the algorithm is pushing that out because it's a fantasy that people fall into. But that's it. It's yeah.

And also who you're surrounded by, I feel. Like, I have two friends in LA at the moment and they are doing so well. But even... And I feel like if themselves, like, three years ago saw where they're at now, they would be so, so happy. And then we were having a conversation recently and they were just saying that, like, different things that they wanted and different things they were upset about. And I was like, it's just because the people that they're surrounded by...

are like are on a different it's just a different it's a different thing but then it's like are you ever happy with what you but that's that's what I know like it's like you know you don't even see where you are because you're like well if these people have this or if they're achieving this or this then like you don't you don't see where you are we just only we said like our mom started a business at 50 like yeah you know like why didn't we you know it's like you don't you don't register and it's the whole thing of like looking back you

you can only bloody realize when you look back because like even mom like you can see how all the different jobs that she did that were so different to each other actually led her to being in like the most perfect job for her now but like if she hadn't done all those yeah like i don't know would she be would she be there yeah

you know like the amount of times even this year we're like this career is so hard like what are what are we doing oh no i think it's actually give it sometimes it gives you a little meant to be like but then if we looked back and we're like you know this is probably the first year we've done more things than we've ever done that we've made ourselves like so it's like you know you have to sometimes be like come on now let's look back and i know just yeah yeah be proud yeah and what's new york like

I love it. I love it so much, but I just moved back temporarily. Okay. Just because I've been there for like six years. Wow. I moved there when I was like 19 for college. I went to study there. Okay. And then, well, COVID happened and then I did come back for like a year and a half. Yeah. And then I went back. And then I just feel like it's the most incredible place in the world to be

whoever you are to be free to be creative like I have to be honest I think if I stayed in Ireland I stayed what I was doing with what I was doing I don't know would I even have realized that I was like gay or like any of that type of stuff really I don't know I don't think so it was only when I went to America that I saw my first lesbian couple like and that was when I was literally 20 so I'm like I don't know I just don't know like because I didn't I really didn't

Okay, yes, there were like certain things that happened up until I was 20 that were like absolute flags that I was. The homo hints, as my friend Porik would say. Genuinely though. But like, I don't know. I don't know. It was only when I was chatting to her and seeing her and her girlfriend at the time and their relationship.

And then going to like queer stuff with her or seeing all that, that I was like, holy shit. Okay, that's me. And I don't know, I think in Ireland and maybe it was like who we were, who like I was surrounded by and the like classic trope, like Catholic school, like girl school, I just was like sick.

so cut off from like even thinking that that was like possible yeah well I think in Ireland lesbian is still an insult it is though in my I went to a first all girls catholic school lesbian was an insult

it was like I was rumored to be having sex with my best friend because we were too close you know it's all this like rumors to ruin your reputation that you were a lesbian is the worst thing that you could be and it's like it's like creepy or like weird or what it's called yeah yeah and it made you feel like that it made you feel dirty and horrible oh fully

And then I went to a hippie school afterwards and everyone was kissing and riding each other so it was great. I was talking to my sister who is gay and she was saying, like she only figured out when she was 22. Yeah, okay. Dated men her whole life. Yeah. Was just like,

or didn't really enjoy sex that much but it was just like this is what womanhood is because there's this narrative that's pushed on women that it's we don't enjoy sex only men it sex is for men yeah you know we just lie there and it's like this is represented in movies where the women are just lying there looking at the ceiling you know so it's like

Well, actually, there's probably... There's something else. Yeah, whereas, like, we've normalised gay men because, like, oh, the gay best friend, they're accepted, you know, that was great. Now, I do think it's coming away and there's more mainstream representation. Like, for example, your play. And then that book, Sunburn, is the only book that I've read where it's not, like, overly sexualised lesbian media. Like, we had...

I always say we It's like We us women Had Blue is the Worm's Colour It's like Yeah but like We have Blue is the Worm's Colour Which was literally a porno And there was like There you go now There's your lesbian movie So fucking problematic And like all the stuff Yeah But we have nothing And I think it's to do With the fact that We don't see it Like things become Palatable I think

when it's normalized and when you see it and like we don't have that i think it still is so subconscious in people that like you do have to still fit in even if you are a gay woman like you have to fit into this like either you're the lesbian that we have seen on like tv and it's like whatever whatever or like yeah i don't know i don't know you're you can you're straight passing

Yeah, so it's one or the other. It's like to make other people feel comfortable. Yeah, not that you're one or the other for like us, but I feel like even our, like not our family's views, but like there's a certain generation's views that's like, what's okay? Did you find it hard then to approach women? Yeah, but I don't know if it's because I was a woman. I'm just such an awkward person to be with. But like, yeah, so I don't know. How's been dating in London? So bad.

shocking yeah well yeah it's a shit show really yeah and like not just for me like for all my friends I think

I think it's rare nowadays that like, now to be fair, sorry, two of my good friends have just met people from Hinge and it's going very well. Congratulations. Congratulations to you because yeah. Yeah, like I've gone on the funniest dates and like, I remember being like, okay, I'm going to give Hinge like a proper go, like I'm going to really do it and then three dates in a row, like three different people stood me up. What? Yeah. Okay.

Like stood me up. Like I was. You were at the place. I was at the place. Oh my God. Three different times. And I was like, oh my God. Like. You're like, it's happening again. What's wrong? Like I remember being like, oh my God. The third time I was like, this is funny. The first time I remember being like, I remember my mom and I was like, I just got stood up and she was like, it's okay love. And I was like, fuck's sake. Like, yeah. Can I curse? Yeah. Yeah, of course. Yeah.

Yeah so it's I don't know like I I think date well I suppose yeah dating apps it's an effort for me so I'm like I'm not great at it. Yeah. But I'd like to maybe I don't know. Because you think in a big hoppin city like London you would just organically meet someone. That's it. Like surely if you're going to things. I think as well like I was having this conversation with friends recently like

because london is so big yeah you could meet people like walking down the street whatever but also there's so many people so it's like sure there's the next best thing do you know it's like yeah it's never good enough or like you know i feel like even on like hind or something people are like sure i'll just keep swiping because yeah i don't even think it's the size of the city it's just the apps the apps are like it's commodified the dating world yeah yeah

the grass is greener syndrome no genuinely though it's really really bad like i really think it's yeah even you were saying about your friend who moved home from lisbon oh yeah just it's just yeah just the same people experiencing the same things i feel like people just don't want to commit like the like sense of like respect that we have on each other in dating i think it's just less because of dating apps or what you then accept or like you know

I don't know, is it like a self-worth thing? Well, no, sorry, sorry, go on. Yeah, but do you know, like, I don't know, is it like, because, say, commitment and stuff is, I feel, not as prominent, like, anymore, that, like, then do you, like, I don't know, I'm like, I want to make sure that I'm still keeping my, like, respect of, like, what I want in a relationship rather than, like, you know, doing stuff for, I don't know, just to have something. Do you know?

And you know that mantra that's going around? It's like, you don't owe anyone anything. Do you think that's damaging or do you think there's some truth to that? I think it's damaging. In a way, I just think that like, yes, I just think that my brain's going to freeze. We do owe each other things.

because we're human like we're people yeah so like we owe each other if you're gonna if you know that somebody's taking the time out of the day to like go on a date with you or to meet you or to spend their time talking to you and texting you and they're telling you things about their life and you're like connecting you do owe that person something because you have experienced something together i think the danger is like the throwaway culture and what we're doing is like

well, it doesn't matter. Like that, that experience didn't matter, but like it did matter. And like, I think that's why so many people are like hurting a lot in dating. Cause it's like, there's like a confusion and a miscommunication. Like I know so many times that like, even when I was dating and I had some so tragic dating experiences, but it's like, I wish I went back and like even said something, but I was trying to like play cooler or like not say anything. Whereas I was like, that really hurt or like even ghosting, like Jesus Christ. It's like,

I don't know. It's just... It's just mean. As well, it's just the generational thing, I suppose, of what we were talking about earlier about, like, social media and stuff and that, like, we've just become, like, desensitized as well to, like, love. Is that really deep? But, you know, like, I don't know. But I think we're living in a place where it's like everything should be perfect and if things aren't perfect, then you move on. You can move on. And it's like...

Okay, it obviously depends on the situation that you're in. But, like, I do feel relationships, even friendships, like, you do go through phases where, like, something happens. You may not be as close, but, like, the commitment is, like... It takes work. It takes work. And, yes, there's a point where, like, it's unhealthy or it's unsafe or, like, stuff like that. And then that's, like, a clear no. It's a hard one because there's one sentence where I'm like, relationships serve us for a time and a place. And sometimes it's not... It's...

We're living longer. Maybe it's not as natural to have like, you know, 80 year relationships. Like that's like, you know. Yeah. Yeah. And maybe we were supposed to love more than one person. Yes. Like I also, there's part of me that also is on that. Yeah.

So I don't know. So I just completely contradict myself there. It is hard to know. It's hard to know. But I do think there's more pressure than ever that, or we have more than ever, we have a scarcity mindset with time. The time's going to run out. And that's why I'm like, I need to be successful now before I'm 30. It's just like, why? Why do I need that? But in terms of relationships, I do think there's the thing where it's,

It's like you're wasting my time. Yeah. My finite time that I have. And it's like, if that person I wasn't... If you don't see yourself with them forever, then there's no point. Yes. Do you know, like, we might as well stop it now because we're running out of time. Yeah. And I think social media sometimes has spoiled my brain in terms of red flags that I didn't even know existed in my head. Oh, yeah. Yeah. It's like, wait. Yeah. He hasn't...

didn't open the door for me there yeah ticked it's just like yeah random things that I'm like wait I know where I'm a deeply flawed person they're a deeply flawed person or like the whole like ick thing where like somebody yeah like like opens the door wrong or like trips over themselves and they're like ick yeah or wear certain pair of shoes and they're like I could never get with somebody that wore like whatever white shoes with brown stripes like yeah yeah it is crazy

And I don't know what the solution, like I don't know. I miss the days where we just go off each other's vibes. Yeah, like. I know. Yeah. No, I feel like myself though, sometimes if I spend too much time online and obviously because my job is like predominantly online. Yeah, yeah. I actually do feel myself getting colder towards situations. Like I'm not even a soft, because usually I'm like a softy crying at everything. I'm not even crying at movies anymore. And I'm like, is this because of the way the world is going where it's like you have to protect yourself and be real cold and, you know. But we were even

have any conversation only think about yourself but that's it and that's what's so scary is because even the other day we were talking with my mom about like you in LA with the coffee

which like okay megan was getting an uber you can't answer that story all i'm saying is megan was in an uber in okay la and he offered her a cup of coffee from his flask so megan sent us a selfie drinking the cup of coffee from the stranger's flask and we were all like jesus she's gonna die i know that was so wrong no no no but i'm not even saying that i'm just saying it's the fact that like we have to think the worst of everyone now yeah yeah which is so sad yeah but it's like i

I don't know. See, I never know if the world has gotten more dangerous or if we just know more. That's it. About what's going on. There's no more kids playing on the street. My little sister, in fairness to her, doesn't call around to her mates. Like, she isn't knocking for anyone. Which is so sad. And I was like, I was knocking for everyone. I was knocking for the old people on my street. Or like,

thinking like we used to just leave the house for hours and sell like bits around the house on the street like set up a little stall I have seen a few of them recently I love them I'm like I have no cash but there's girls that go around the shop near my mom's house around the corner and they go do you want a bracelet and try sell the bracelets and I'll go no I'll come in I'll get you a few sweets and then I'm thinking oh no I hope they don't think I'm a creep which is like I'm literally here with a toddler obviously I'm a safe person oh but that's it that's it oh I know

Were you scared of the Ma coming out being like "What do you think you're doing?!" No, genuinely, come on! It is really sad though, because it's like, where are we going? Like, are we going to come to a place where it's like, we can go backwards and we can be like, okay, we're gonna trust each other again? Yeah. Or is it just, I get scared that we're going... we're just gonna keep going and then we... Because I think we're already in this like, severe like, loneliness epidemic. Yeah.

And I'm scared that it's going to go worse. Definitely. And even my mom, again, referencing mom all the time. But like she made a good point the other day. She was just saying that and we're not a religious family like in any way.

But she was just saying that the one thing that she thinks is something that we lost when like, you know, religion started going down was just like a community, like a sensible place to like go and your neighbors are there and you know that like people have your back and you know you're part of something. Yeah. And I think that is like what we're missing. I feel like that's what I'm missing. Yeah.

Also, I suppose because as well, we both live, we don't live as in like, I don't even know my downstairs flat neighbors. Really? Not really. Like I've, I remember when I first moved in, like we left like chocolates for Christmas and stuff, but like, yeah, there's no like, I know. And even like,

There are like three men that own this restaurant, like a tapas bar by our house. And I know like, and a shop that I get Coke Zero in every day. And I remember I left for like two weeks and he's like, where were you? Did something happen? But I know like if I ever was in trouble or something, like I know I could go into those two places and be like, you know. Help. Yeah. I always think like if I'm being followed home or something, you know, just things like that. But like even, yeah, like a community, I don't feel like.

around in terms of where I live and also because you've never like as in because you've lived away or like in different places I know maybe that's it I don't know yeah I don't know but also it's like even I had this conversation with my housemate the other day like we were like okay we're both going back to London like let's not just sit on the couch and watch TV every night when we come home from work like let's you know you can do something for an hour after even if it's a walk do you know like and then you just fall back into the routine of like I don't know it's just about actually getting yourself out and trying to be more

sociable i don't know but then it's like yeah social anxiety that's it girl that's the thing that's all we have time for do you want to tell everyone where you they can see cortisol and more from you if you want to do some plugs there so yeah people can get tickets to cortisol um on the smock alley theater website for dublin fringe we're performing from the 18th to the 21st september and also if you're in cork or around cork

We're performing from the 2nd to the 5th of October in the Cork Arts Theatre. And yeah, if you want to hear more about the show and stuff, you can follow us on TikTok at Corkisallplay. Woo! Woo! Woo! Thanks so much. Thank you so much. You know, the average hospital visit can cost you around $12,000. So do you have that kind of extra money lying around if you get sick? Me either. That's why health insurance is so important. Today, you can get health insurance plans for a couple of dollars a day.

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