365 Pink Feather Boas All in a Row - Day 245 (Thursday 2 September) : When I Grow Up 1

Today I had my first session with my career coach, Jane, a good friend and a whizbang career coach who has the ability to distil what matters to you, and shape it into a viable career path. Part of preparing for today's session, which went wonderfully well, was preparing answers to various questions that queried what media you like and why, what you want to be remembered for from your work life, among other things. I thought it would be fun to record some of these responses in the blog because they firstly give you more of an insight into what makes me tick (you get that whether you want ot or not!), and secondly, I had a blast thinking about what my responses would be and articulating them on paper, and surprising myself with the answers. It was great learning experience!

This set of answers centres on the three people that have inspired me, and why.....

(1) SANDRA BULLOCK

This may seem an offbeat odd choice but then that’s me! I love her sense of fun, her creative ability and expression, but what I love the most is the fact that she is an authentic person who has always presented the person she is rather than the one people think she should be. Now I don’t delude myself into thinking that I am seeing exactly who she is since no one in the public eye can do that, but in interview after interview, and in her decision to live in Austin, TX, away from Hollywood, she has shown a refreshing honesty and candour that I admire and inspire to. Being yourself in no small thing given societal and peer pressure, and the demands of day to day life but it fundamental to living your life with meaning and truth, and I aspire to always be myself and realise an authentic, well-lived life that is a reflection of who I am, and not a pale reflection of that, overshadowed by others’ expectations.

(2) ROSA PARKS

Ever since I can remember, I have believed in social justice, and the right of everyone to enjoy every right and privilege due to them. I wrote essays in high school on the inequity of the North/South divide (North is developed countries; South not so developed or not at all), and continue to believe that rights must be fought for and then we must remain vigilant to preserve them. Obviously, as a gay man, where my rights are curtailed such that in some respects I am a 2nd class citizen, this belief in fairness and equality for all has become very near and dear. I admire ROSA PARKS because by refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger, she stared down an evil, foul regime where people were treated differently simply because of their race, and by sticking to her beliefs even in the face of a massive attack by the establishment, stood her ground. She was a mighty brave woman who lived out the strength of her beliefs, and I hope that if ever I was in a similar situation, that I would follow in her footsteps. Not to do so, would be an abrogation of all that I believe in.

(3) J K ROWLING

She was dirt poor, trying to be a single mum, and went ahead anyway and wrote the Harry Potter books! What an inspiration. Every time I cite how busy I am as a reason for leaving my novel languishing in non-published limbo, I need to remember that my life is far easier than hers, and that if I want my dream to be realised bad enough, that I need to put the effort in. My obstacles are nothing – I need to harness my famous will and determination and go for broke! She did, and I can too!