A full life
Sunday, December 5, 2010 at 2:18PM
I was reading a blog the other day which discussed answers to the question “what do you do?”. I recall experiencing this very dilemma myself when we first moved to Gloucestershire, 27 years ago this New Years Eve. Still looking for a job in the area, I soon tired of people asking me what did I do? If I answered (truthfully) “I’m a teacher”, then the question would immediately come “Oh, where?” If I said (also truthfully) that I was unemployed, I would receive either a pitying look or be challenged about why I wasn’t spending every waking minute in the queue at the Job Centre.
Because, of course, I didn’t want to say that actually, fingers crossed, I was pregnant.
Some time later, a friend and I cooked up the perfect answer between us. If anyone asked us what we did, we’d simply answer “Nothing”. That usually wrong footed the enquirer who often responded “But surely…”, offering a fine chance to clarify with details of being a full time mother, volunteer, creator of this and that and all round busy person.
But I must say, I rather like the answer “I lead a full life”.
I am also a creature of habit, so here we are, the first Sunday in December and my Hero is going off to his Sunday rehearsal prior to the choir’s concerts at the end of the week. Tradition demands two dozen mince pies and finding that I’ve taken more or less the same shot of the mince pies for at least two years running, my photo of the day today shoes the casualties, the “cook’s perks”. Very good they were, too.
Did you spot the glitter? The house is glitter-central this week, with twinkles in all kinds of surprising places. That on the mince pies is the edible variety, which my friend Kelsie, of The Sugar Box assures me has been very on trend since Kirsty Allsopp sprinkled it on her mince pies last year. Well, we can’t allow ourselves to allow these fancies to pass us by here in the sticks – and in today’s bright sunshine, it’s very effective, too.
Oh, and there are three Christmas cakes in the oven too.
Reader Comments (3)
I say "Do you want the long answer, the short answer, or have you changed your mind?". That gives them sufficient warning that the answer isn't a straightforward profession!
Yes - I used to ponder on whether or not to list amongst my fake IDs - Lifestyle Coach, MD of the family business, (isn't every wife/mother), PA to a VIP (isn't every husband), vagabond, flibbertygibbet, kept woman etc. etc. Now I am just awaiting the opportunity to reply 'don't ask me what I do, ask me what I love, or ask me who I am'!!!! On second thoughts I might just mumble gibberish into my Sherry!
I try to arrive at parties after those conversations have finished. It's a carefully honed skill. Not too late to be rude, late enough to join in when things have moved on!