Well - I've still got a job, but I'm off sick for at least the next 2 weeks after going to see my doctor this morning. Apparently I can't have my heart medication boosted because I'm already on the maximum dose, and I've also got low blood pressure (which I'm sure would come as a huge surprise to anyone who knows me, including me!) so that even the amount of medication I'm taking now could potentially cause dizziness or even fainting fits. I'm still pondering what to do in the slightly longer term - I have perused one or two job websites, but having spent as long as I have in my present industry (31 years & counting), it's quite hard to find anything other than pretty menial jobs that I've got the relevant experience or qualifications for. I did see one particular job ad that piqued my interest, for a freelance writer, but, on reading the detailed description, they were looking for science and social science graduates to research and write academic articles in subjects specific to the graduate concerned. I'm pretty sure I've got the intellectual wherewithal to do that kind of thing, but if your C.V. doesn't contain the primary requirement for the job, it doesn't bode well for your chances of being employed.
On a much happier note, many thanks to ' A Wandering Pom ' for taking the time and trouble to become my first follower and commenter - at the risk of a little egomania, I think most people who write blogs (and certainly myself) enjoy the process of blogging in itself, but the thought that what you write might be interesting enough for others to want to read is a pleasant one. I'll make every effort to maintain and improve the level of interest, and even, hopefully, to make it a bit less relentlessly downbeat!
Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B
Hi here, Sammy
ReplyDeleteThanks for your welcome. As far as I'm concerned, you should feel free to write what you like, downbeat or not - if it's of interest or help to you, then it's very probably of interest to me too. I hope that my perspective will be of interest or help in return.
I'm glad to hear you still have your job, but I can certainly see why you want a change. Dealing with the local sociopathic youths must be unpleasant enough in itself, but if it's damaging your health then a change is definitely called for. From what I've seen here, writing is a definite possibility - could you ask the people who ran the ad you mentioned whether they would be interested in you anyway? I'd also be interested to know what you do at the moment (that might suggest some other avenues to take), but you don't have to answer. At least with a couple of weeks off you'll have some leisure to search...
Take care
Mark
Hello Mark
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words. Writing would be a dream job for me, but the income would be a bit uncertain, and there are still the mortgage and bills to be paid (sigh!). There's a good reason why I'm not being too specific about what I do for a living at the moment - I work for a well-known national company, but there aren't too many, especially in this part of the world, that do the exact job that I do, and, as I said when I started the blog, I don't want to include any information that would identify me too easily, purely for the sake of my family. If there was just me to consider, I'd be posting under my own name, loud and proud, but I couldn't forgive myself if the were any repercussions for my wife and daughter - we seem to be living in an increasingly fundamentalist society, and while I'm not suggesting we're at the burning crosses stage yet, I'd rather let discretion be the better part of valour for now. As it is, there are probably more than enough clues in the blog and my profile for close friends and family to recognise me.
Love & best wishes
Sammy B
Hi there, Sammy
ReplyDeleteI fully understand your preference for anonymity, and I certainly wouldn't want to do anything that might damage it. I'm in much the same situation: while I've been out to friends and family for ten years, I would still much prefer not to have my real name splattered around blog-land. I'm sure that anyone who knows me could make a good guess at my identity from my profile, let alone things I've written in comments.
It's a shame that writing is so often such a poorly paid and uncertain occupation. I know several professional authors here in Cambridge, and they seem very often to have a rather hand-to-mouth existence, despite producing some very good work. I guess life is just not fair sometimes...
Take care
Mark