Perhaps some background is needed here. The biggest chunk of my working life has been in the IT industry - that is what I chose and what I trained for. In my 30s I got a bee in my bonnet about changing my career (I think one should have at least three careers in one's lifetime), and as I've always been interested in psychology, I did a Psychology degree part-time, while still working in IT and raising 3 kids. Having got my degree I applied for the Masters programme, was rejected, and then spent a year working in a Centre for Troubled Adolescents. A year later I was selected for a Research Masters, was awarded a grant (yay!), prepared the topic for my dissertation and had it approved (yay!!), and suddenly ..... just like that ..... I was cured. Magically, I did not want to be a psychologist after all. Isn't it weird? But today, wading my way through pages and pages of the BADLY typeset psychology textbook that I'm proofreading, I experienced a moment of sadness. How did I start with having a dream of being a psychologist - and ended up being a proofreader (the lowest of the low ...) of psychology textbooks instead?
Oh well. Here are some other pages in my new journal...
This one was inspired by a comment of Esti of pintama el dia ...Have a lovely weekend, dears! Here's hoping that you are doing something more interesting than proofreading ...
9 comments:
Proofreaders are not the lowest of the low! They are the last defense against the barbarity of bad grammar! And not everyone can do it - you really have to have an eye for detail.
Careers are mysterious. I think it's like falling in love - sometimes we want one so badly we imagine that it's perfect for us, only to find out that it's not.
This post is food for my head, which gained at least a stone and a half reading it! LOVELY and I do love your art, your style!
I changed my "career" so many times midstream that I never did become anything- my spirit is happy but it is lousy pay, my obituary will be minus the "accomplishment" paragraph...I agree with Stephanie- you have to have a special talent to proofread, I consider it almost godly! Again- LOVE YOUR ART!
A terrible monster is Blogs
He feeds on young maidens and frogs
La Blogeuse is addicted
And badly afflicted
And Le 'Usband gets thrown to the dogs
I love the way you've captured the split between the dream and reality in your journal!
Although I also don't agree that proof-reading is the lowest of the low (by any means!) and studying for the degree is such an amazing achievement in itself, I understand what you're saying. I always wanted to be a marine biologist but the closest I've come is to scuba dive and volunteer at an aquarium... Not bad, and even useful, but hardly Jacques Cousteau! Given this all to do again, I'd probably make the same choices but still, that means letting go of the dream and there is a little sadness attached to that. I get it.
Love your definition of magical and words that you love! I also like S words - stockings is one of my favourites!
The Great Chekhov said: fixing bad writting is the very noble calling. If not for them, never would they publish 'the Cherry Orcherd'. So be brave, dear anairam. Me I am like Kendallee. I wanted to be oceanographist. But I can no swim!!
stephanie - It's true about the eye for detail. In fact, I find it quite distressing that since I started proofreading, I can not read a book (for leisure) without mistakes jumping at me from the page. It's very distracting! What I meant about the lowest of the low is really that as proofreader you are at the end of the chain - author - editor - typesetter - proofreader. (Also, you get paid the least!) PS I do not proofread my posts - I just decided at the start that my blog is for writing (quickly!), not proofing ...
linda sue - Haha, that is one big head! Thank you for your sweet comments! It is extraordinarily difficult to draw if you've never really done it. I find that as a result my style has not really evolved from my drawings as a 10-year-old ...
le'Usband - Oh, shame! Are you feeling neglected? Here is a ***hug*** from la Blogeuse
kendalee - If I am honest with myself, I think a part of the reason I did not continue with the Masters, was the idea of all the work that was going to be involved in the research and writing up my thesis - probably another two or three years of my life. So a defence mechanism kicked in ...
svetlana - It is a pity that your dream about becoming an oeanographer didn't work out. I'm guessing you are a mathematician. Or perhaps a playwright? Let me know if I'm right!
Do not have any regrets. I am sure you have a sister somewhere who is very relieved you did not use her as the topic of a thesis in psychology.
p.s. did you really have a "patient" whose mother had bad breasts? Good grief.
anonymous - Yes, but I've got a half-written thesis - so she really shouldn't be relieved ... or get too relaxed - mwah hah hah ... (PS For a description of bad and good breasts, read Melanie Klein. No, she is not a madam, dear...)
i've enjoyed reading about your previous life paths... thanks for the link :)
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