Sunday, 8 January 2006

Arts

Book: What Should I Do With My Life?

A screenwriter turned teacher. Someone else deciding between gamekeeper and poacher. Another is financially sustained by a day-job and emotionally sustained by voluntary work. One more who's only had one employer their entire working life.

For the past six months I've been vicariously living the lives of strangers. Po Bronson's book What Should I Do With My Life? doesn't seek to answer the question but instead illuminates it with the tales of fifty people. Within the first couple of pages my mind was chiming with the voices I was reading. That resonance continued to the very end.

While at first it seemed these were extraordinary people, by the time I finished I had come to a different conclusion. As if to prove it, the final chapter is subtitled "Every story is unique". So I started looking at my own close friends.

A speechwriter turned teacher. Those who've traded the city life for pared down country living. Another who's voluntary work became their career. One more who's only had one employer their entire working life.

This year I'll be writing a little bit more of my story.

Posted by pab at 22:58 | Comments will be back later in the year. Please email me instead!