The last few years of secondary school were filled with ‘O’ and ‘A’ level exam courses, including – just for fun – Greek and Roman Mythology, which was a real eye opener. All those Gods and Goddess’ interfering with the humble humans in more ways than one! I still enjoy mythology and have used similar themes in pieces of prose.
I also finished my GSE Art exam and volunteered to be a model for the higher level exam artists. On my breaks I ‘doodled’ a sketch of a brace of stuffed pheasants, just for something to do. It wasn’t what I was good at to my way of thinking – I drew abstracts not ‘real’ things. However, when Miss. Randall saw my sketch she immediately entered me into the higher exams. I pleaded “But I can’t draw.” The answer was “What do you call that then – it’s beautifully scaled and you have captured the textures.” So that is how I passed my ‘O’ and ‘A’ level art exams.
My idea of life ‘after school’ was to attend Art College, getting a job as a window dresser for the holidays and using this as a platform for my own unique style. However, I was guided to get a ‘real’ job and entered into State Registered nurse training on Valentine’s Day 1977. I really enjoyed the nursing but as I progressed there was more and more paperwork, much less actual nursing. To cut a long story short – I left and went into a couple of administration jobs. It was really sink or swim as I have never learnt typing or short hand but I am best under pressure and succeeded. Within 3 years I had gone into partnership to start a business – I had a natural talent for organization and ran the office solo until my work load was too heavy.
Unfortunately my art work suffered as my main drive was the creation of the business and being young, free and single – socializing! It would be sometime before my ‘creative’ side emerged. Although I did ‘create’ a thriving business for many years, which enabled me to enjoy life.
Yes we can reminisce and recall things that might have been best done another way but I agree with Twilla and have posted on a WFSC writing prompt in the same manner – to change one thing in our past would change our future and really when it comes “write” down to it – I love where my past has taken me and look forward to where my journey is going!
Keep up the great job!
Life, the often unwelcomed intruder, indeed! Take heart, though, cuz, as you can see from your own experience, things tend to happen when, how, where, with whom they are supposed to happen.
It’s always fun to visit the ‘what ifs’ when we think of all the passed/missed oportunities in our past. But I always thing how fragile reality is and to think that a single change in my past could have potentially robbed me of all the blessings I’m enjoying now and I have no choice but to be grateful, overall, for the path my life has taken.
Whatever happend in our yester-years, I’m awfully glad that our paths crossed.
PS: Nice job on your blog!