I had a brain fart the other day, when I read Janie’s post on Midlife Slices, and actually volunteered to be “interviewed” by her. You’d think an army brat would know better. “Never volunteer” … it’s drummed into us with our mother’s milk. Ah well. Here we go:
1. If you weren’t doing your current job, what else would you be doing?
Beats me. I fell into speechwriting by accident, after taking a year off work to complete a degree in Sociology. Just as I was contemplating my brand new degree (a month after my 50th birthday, I might add *preen*) and wondering “now what?” a friend of a friend mentioned to another friend of a friend that I was quite handy with the odd word here and there, and I received a call from Somebody Quite Important Who Shall Never Be Mentioned in a Blog — or rather from SQIWSNBMIAB’s secretary, because SQIWSNBMIABs don’t make their own phone calls, of course — asking me if I would consider drafting some speaking notes for an event that was coming up. And the rest, as they say, is history. Eleven years and two successors later, I’m still drafting speaking notes, and quite enjoying it all. What was the question again? Oh yes … I could do just about anything, really, except maybe chicken-sexing or working in a slaughterhouse. I’ve been a waitress, barmaid, chip packer, radio dispatcher, transformer winder, retail clerk, secretary, au pair, door to door encyclopaedia seller, hairdresser’s receptionist, press officer, customer services manager, project manager, marketing manager, and human resources consultant, so I could probably turn my hand to whatever comes up. If you are asking me what I would like to do, the answer is practice medicine (and maybe someday become competent … ta-da).
2. Other than meeting your husband, your wedding day or the birth of your children, what would you say has been the best day of your life and why?
Damn, these are really hard questions. What would you be in another life, Janie? A toenail-puller? Having taken a break and walked around the house a few times to think about this one: I think it was probably the day I drove home from the Dublin Gas Company, with a big fat redundancy cheque in my pocket and the knowledge that I would never again have to work for the worst arse of a boss I ever had in my life. As a single mother, I had forfeited the luxury of walking away from crappy bosses, so I had to stick it out with him for two years. And then a blessed redundancy package gave me back my freedom. O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!
3. How did you meet your husband and how did he propose?
I met The First Husband when he was sent to Ireland by his Canadian company to manage a huge consultancy project with Dublin Gas. It wasn’t exactly love at first sight — (a) he was married and (b) I was sick and tired of babysitting the damn’ consultants. And I have to admit that we all thought the Canadians were a bit of a joke, with their grey pants/navy blazers/beige trench coats uniform and their unflagging politeness. Worst of all, they smelled to high heaven of aftershave and cologne, which was pretty hard to stomach. My workmates and I used to gather in Mulligans of Poolbeg Street, near our office, to compare notes on these aliens and their funny ways and devise fresh ways to torment them. But then he and I became friends and, over a twelve month period, it morphed into something deeper. Twelve years, three children, and three thousand miles later, I proposed to him.
4. What is the one thing in your life you’d go back and change and why?
Not one damn’ thing. Because I am what I am, and my life is what it is, due to everything that has happened so far.
5. How would TFH describe you to a stranger.
With all due modesty, I know that he tells everyone he meets that I am the smartest person he knows. (Note that — person, not woman. What’s not to love?) It would be nice if he also described me as the sexiest, most gorgeous woman he knows, but he’s shortsighted, not blind.
That was an interesting experience … I see “therapeutic” being bandied around the blogosphere, and I think I agree … If you would like to volunteer for some “therapy” here’s what you have to do …
- Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
- I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).
- You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
- You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
- When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
