D.I.Y.

I recently had a conversation with some friends at work about alternate careers. My initial answer was “critic” – books, food, people, places – I would love to write about any of these with my very critical, cynical, catty world view of course. And then later, I had this brilliant, mind-blowing epiphany about what I would really want to do. And now I cannot remember what that thought was. I am guessing it’s not something you need a good memory for.

It’s fascinating to think about, though, and really drives home the fact that you’re not really doing something you’re totally 100% passionate about. There’s something to be said about having multiple interests of course and I would also like to whisper, “The grass is always greener… always.” But, still, what if there is something you should be doing, or another place you should be at. Do you think you still have time enough to start afresh? If you’re a 22 year old reading this, don’t bother answering. Someone I correspond with regularly said they would like to sail around the world sampling different types of tea. Thanks to Twinings, the latter half of that alternate life plan should be fairly easy.

I want to know what some of our mothers would have liked to do. They were so bound to home and hearth, trying to make the best of situations they couldn’t have possibly wanted to be their life story. How do they live having buried all those wants deep into some dark recess of their hearts. So deep that they don’t even admit having a personal dream is an actual thing. It’s just something they aspire for their offspring, sometimes with disastrous consequences. Wanting the best for your children and wishing they do something you would have or liked to given a chance are two very different things. One of them being alarmingly corrosive.

Can we get social evolutionary accelerator please?