My early thoughts on a career

 West Calder Library

(just as it looked when I was a child) 

 

We used to go to Sunday School (Church of Scotland) every week without fail and we had a wonderful minister, the Rev. David Robertson who was just a kind, generous, committed person not just to his parish, he visited the hospital, the prisons and anywhere people who need help or spiritual help, let me state though he was not a bible thumper, he loved what he taught and preached. Of course, I didn’t appreciate that at the time. At whatever age I was, young and innocent, I thought being a Minister would be a great job because you only worked one day a week, yeah right, but I was young.  I did go on to be a Sunday School teacher in East Cakder Churcdwhen my sons and I went to church.  I am an Eternalist now, the only one I think, still a supporter of the true Christian values, which are really spiritual values which are not owned by any religion, and it is being guided by a loving, kind, compassionate heart with everyone (as best you can) and all life!

 

My second career choice at that age was that of librarian, because I loved reading. In those days of my childhood this was where adventure and knowledge lay, where you used your imagination rather than watching someone else’s imagination at work on a screen. My twin sister, Isabel and I, were regulars at our local library and could be found walking home afterwards each with a bundle of books held safely in our hands. I can still remember the librarian, Jean, testing my reading to see if I could now enter the hallowed grounds of the big library, moving up from the Childrens’ section.  She took a book from the 'grown up shelf' and I had to read a paragraph from it, and I got stuck on the word pyjamas, however she let me pass and the rest is history!

 

When I got closer to working age my mother advised me not to get involved with Sales.  Salutary advice, but did I listen? For that was what I became involved in, one way or another, for most of my working life! I just wonder how different my life would have been if I had heeded those wise words from my Mum!