Dear Baya,

      I don’t really know how to ask this question. I sense that everything I think and do is hemmed in, that I am the virtual slave to many powerful forces of which I’m only dimly aware, but should understand better. So perhaps you could explain a little about three things which rule my life: money, time and language?

      Living in a money-loving society I seem to spend an awful lot of time worrying about it. I suppose these worries will only become worse when I go out into the world and try to make a living. So what is money? Is it a thing, or just a state of mind? How do we become rich or poor? How can we avoid becoming slaves to money? Whatever you tell me could be worth a lot!

      People often say ‘time is money’. What do they mean, and particularly what does it tell us about our attitudes to time? For time seems equally nebulous and mysterious. It ticks past, but has no body; it sometimes seems to go fast, sometimes much too slowly. It sometimes goes straight on, other times goes in a circle. How can I use my time well, but not become a slave to time? And, incidentally, why are some of my friends at school always unpunctual? And what should I say to them?

      That takes me to the last problem – of language. I often find it almost impossible to express what I feel and think – I can’t find the words. Other times words seem to take control of me and force me to think in certain directions. There are lots of fascinating puzzles – and since I want to study some foreign languages, it would be really good if you could tell me a few things about language. But keep the language simple please!

Lots of love,