Blog thread, today I talked for an hour and twenty two minutes with (or rather listened to) a lady who has had the most depressing, unfortunate life it's possible to have in a first world country. I won't go into details but her career was a flop, her marriages failed, she lost her first baby and one of the four other children developed mental health problems resulting in a long-winded epic leading to her, well over retirement age, being sole carer for twins with behavioural problems.
I was torn - we're only meant to chat for about ten minutes before we mention the annual fund and then wind up the conversation, but I literally could not get a word in edgeways. I felt sorry for her, but at the same time her attitude is so defeated and also places blame on everyone else and I couldn't help thinking that her negativity can't have helped matters. Plus my supervisor was tearing her hair out about me still being on the phone to someone who was clearly not going to make a donation. In the end she did actually notice that all the background noise had disappeared because everyone else had gone home, so I managed to finish the conversation without actually just hanging up on her, but it was well after we were meant to finish and I'd arranged to ring three other people back tonight who I never got to.
Hm. I guess it was just weird talking to someone whose attitude is so alien to mine as I am now. Perhaps in fifty years, if my life spans out as hers did, I would be equally defeatist and cynical but at the moment I try not to let things get me down.
And on that note I am going to make some hot chocolate and go to bed.
By the way, Kris do not worry! Try and sit somewhere formal, rather than in your bedroom, like maybe at a desk where you work, to keep you focused, but don't panic because you are articulate and interesting and you clearly care about your subject so go for it!