Friday, August 1, 2008

Five alternative professions

If I had the possibility of starting again with the knowledge of life I had now, what profession would I choose for myself? These are my first five choices.
1) Helicopter pilot
I have always loved flying, even the long flights to Italy from New Zealand - approx. 30 hours. When I was a teenager, my parents owned a business which sought out schools of fish by helicopter so the fishermen could zero in on them. My mother has her pilot's licence. My uncle had flown, commercially and otherwise, all his life. One of my first boyfriends was a pilot and took me up in all sorts of planes including an open Tiger Moth and looped loops. So I guess flying permeated a great deal of my early years and left me with a longing to fly. My second book coming out later this year has a heroine who flies helicopters, so I can live vicariously through her. Will I ever get my pilot's licence? Probably not.


2) Game Ranger - in Africa somewhere.
I have been captivated by the parts of Africa I have visited and the animals running free are a marvel to behold. The idea of poachers drives me crazy so if I were a ranger, I could contribute towards keeping the animals alive. I would be constantly out in open spaces - heaven.




3) Travel Journalist.
I was once one of three finalists in a National competition for a new Travel Writer and had a great opportunity to pursue this avenue of writing but, at the time, a Silhouette editor was very interested in my Bombshells and had assured me she wanted me as a Bombshell writer so I concentrated on that for two years, writing five Bombshells before she told me my books were bigger than Bombshells and I should get them published mainstream. In other words after all that writing and waiting, she rejected them all. And the momentum of my win in travel writing was completely lost and no one knew who I was any more. By the way, the book that has just been released by Wild Child Publishing http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/content/view/459/221/ ,Beneath the Surface, was the very first Bombshell I wrote. Travel writing is such a tremendously hard field to break into without credentials that it would be easier to win lotto but what a great excuse to travel the world.


4) Archeologist
Hard work, yes. Frustrating work, yes. Even tedious work, yes. But oh what joy when you strike something. That feeling of accomplishment is what we all crave whether we know it or not. And that feeling is what most of us don't have in our day jobs. We go to work and we come home and repeat it all the next day without significantly achieving anything concrete and that feels like failure - day after day. But if you had an aim, if you knew that in the end, there would be a reward, even though you didn't know when, then it would be all worth it. That's why I would want to be an archeologist. To have a carrot dangling in front of me with the viable hope of reaching it.
5) Forest Ranger
OK, so this is similar to the second choice but this would be in among trees and totally immersed in nature. Solitude with only trees and critters to talk to. What peace - no one to answer back, no bitching, no office politics. Yes, give me animals and trees over most humans any day.

So, I have noticed a theme here with my professions - being outdoors in nature, whether flying over it, walking or travelling through it or digging in it. Strange that all my professions so far have been indoors - Fashion Designer, Teacher, Personal Assistant, Design and Marketing Manager etc. So what does that mean? Any ideas? Because I sure don't have the answer to that question.

12 comments:

raine said...

Don't have a clue.
But I can see you in any one of these professions--yes.

Suzanne said...

Thanks Raine. It's a bit late to make a change now. No one would take me seriously.

Suzanne

Heather Dugan Creative / Footsteps said...

Never too late... The wisdom gained through varied experiences is an asset to almost any profession!

I'd be with you on the travel writer and park ranger choices. Flying is always fun (but I like being a passenger so I can enjoy the view!)...

Suzanne said...

I feel like you, Heather, about the wisdom gained but it doesn't count for much at a job interview without the correct qualification and years of experience in that field. And few people would take on a 50+-year-old woman as an apprentice in any of those fields. We all live with 'what ifs' but the fact is that we make choices that are correct in the circumstances at that time. It's useless to look back with our eyes of now and wish we had a made a other choices. We were different people back then.

Suzanne

Bernita said...

Archaeologist? Oh yes. Me too.

Suzanne said...

What is it about archeology, Bernita? Because, as I said, it would be damned hard work and frustrating as all heck. Ah---but the reward.

Suzanne

Nature Nut /JJ Loch said...

Probably because you don't want to look like a raccoon after having sunspots removed...like I did, Suzanne. :D You could have had all of those professions at once with your talent. I'm lucky to read about your heroine's adventures because you do add your dreams into your work. :D

I would have been alongside you on all of your choices except the helicopter and that occupation I have often wished Jeff had. :D

Wild wave. I bought Jeff a tandem kayak for his birthday. Guess who's going along with him. :D We'll have our first kayaking experience tomorrow. I'll have plenty of photo taking opportunities. Jeff will paddle for the both of us. :D Wish I could help out but the carpal tunnel would scream. Glad I can still experience the kayaking though. And I'll have some quality time with Jeff. I could use some unwinding.



Hugs, Nancy

Suzanne said...

Nancy, I guess that is why my heroines are all so adventurous - I'm living vicariously through them without getting the sunspots.
I also love kyaking and my husband has one but I hardly ever do it. Another of those enigmas. Enjoy your time on the water.

Suzanne

Nature Nut /JJ Loch said...

Good morning, Suzanne!

The weather has been bad so we haven't gotten out on the water yet but hope to travel tomorrow morning. We had a great birthday party for Jeff at a park yesterday, but thunderbolts and lightning were in the distance.

I have my professional photo. Will show it to you. :D

Hugs, Nancy

Suzanne said...

Well, here the weather is grey and raining, Nancy. No picnics in the park for us. Jeff's birthday sounds idyll.

Suzanne

Nature Nut /JJ Loch said...

Suzanne, are you receiving my emails?

Hugs, Nancy

Anonymous said...

I was just feeling lost, googled 'Alternative Professions' and landed here...
What amazed me here is that I would take most of yours without a second thought, though i have no clue about the practicalities :)