My very clever mother-in-law, who was the editor of the Sound Telegraph when I started writing the Balancing Act column, suggested I scan my old columns rather than risk RSI and type them all. Not only is she clever, but a very special, wise person. Before Blue Eyes (her son) and I met, she gave me a chance at the newspaper – I was an unknown: a university graduate and children’s curriculum writer with no newspaper experience. Luckily, I am a quick learner.
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My sunflowers make me happy. |
Meeting Wise Woman was amazing in itself. I was in dire need of a job after my publishing contract had ended and kept getting turned down for jobs because I was too qualified…and I had expressed interest in doing a graduate degree (why employ someone who was not going to stay). Difficult home circumstances meant I had to give up that dream…and also meant that I could not work far from home because I needed to be able to get home to my boys. It was a very anxious, topsy-turvy, scary time for me for a lot of reasons. One day, tears falling, I just prayed, “I don’t know what to do, I need a job now and it needs to be close”. Just like that, my email beeped. It was a message from an unknown newspaper editor saying she needed a casual journalist and would I be interested. Would I ever! I ended up becoming the senior journalist within three months and six months later, Balancing Act was born.
Thank you Wise Woman – you know all the reasons. And thank you for raising such a wonderful son.
On a lighter note – enjoy this, Column #2.
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Courtesy of the Sound Telegraph. Note, this was written in my former name. |
Sadly, I am not as good at 14-year-old boy grunt-speak. That story is for another day.