Tel. 347-284-6409 (US) :: +44 131 208 1646(UK) :: +34 606 981 420 (Spain) :: SkypeID - Sparklyscotty :: Yahoo! Messenger: sparklyscotty Email. sparklyscotty@gmail.com
Introduction I am a full time freelance writer, traveling between the UK and Spain. Working in a wide variety of industries and countries has given me a broad range of interests and experiences to refer to and I am always challenging myself to learn about new subjects.
Personal Profile Excellent organizational skills. Ability to follow a schedule and stick to a deadline. Online research a speciality. I am active in a number on online networking and social sites, and enjoy meeting and learning about new people through their online writing.
Education & Awards Five Scottish Education Higher Exams (AAABB). Scottish Certificate of Six Years’ Study in English based on a writing portfolio. Completion of an additional senior exchange year at a US high school where I was lettered for my presentations about Scotland, and cultural differences between Europe and the US. Psychology degree from Texas A&M University. I hold qualifications in music, theory, piano and voice from the Royal Academy of Music and Drama. I have also studied several other topics at university, college or through private tutors, or independent study courses. These subject cover a broad range of interests, and include: criminology, archaeology, Russian literature, English literature and poetry, forensic science, art history, film studies, French, Spanish, website design, seo, marketing, advanced Photoshop, photography. Company Woman of the Year Award for Bright Ideas for Innovation for my work as the Editor of The Wedding Guide (www.theweddingguide.eu)
Employment History Assistant Manager, Olsen Portrait Design		February 2001- February 2004
San Antonio, TX Improved office efficiency by writing a new procedural manual. Created new promotional and marketing materials (brochures, flyers) specifically tailored to the bridal market. Secured new clients and contracts by emphasizing our commitment to customer service and highlighting the advantages of our studio through marketing letters. Wrote the copy for the studio ‘Portrait Guide’ which included a bio of the company and employees, overview of products and services, and terms and conditions. Implemented and trained employees in new technology and assisted in studio transition from film to digital. Consulted on website design, copy and SEO
Transcriber, Various locations	April 1996 – June 2000
Transcribed homework, class assignments and essays for students with physical or mental disabilities, such as dyslexia or a broken arm. Transcribed interviews for real life stories for an online company.
Jewellery, Chimerique	February 2001 - present
I ran a successful jewellery design company in the US and Europe. My work is now sold exclusively in four boutiques in the UK. Create brochures, product descriptions, marketing materials and copy for the website and newsletters.
Website and Newsletter Copy Writer		August 2005- present
Take basic facts, events, sales promotions and turn them into effective and easy to read copy for businesses. Businesses range from yachting, motorbikes, community town halls, events companies.
Freelance Essay Writer		August 2007 - present
Thoroughly research and write academic essays and articles on a wide variety of subjects for several companies online.
Recently Published Work
Solar Innovation, The Way Forward, Matador Travel, October 2008 12 Solar Powered Gadgets, Matador Travel, September 2008 Article in Mothering magazine, US (pending publication) 'La Tomatina' Orato.com, August 2008 ‘Podemos! Why Sporting Events are Important to Underdog Nations’ Orato.com, July 2008
Editor, ‘The Wedding Guide’ website (present)
Article in Ryanair’s In Flight magazine July/ August 2007
Weekly Column in the ´Coastrider´newspaper 2008
Freelance writer for several online essay firms
Links: My blogs: http://weddingfashionpolice.blogspot.com/ http://weddingguidespain.blogspot.com/
Travelogue of Spain on Matador http://matadortravel.com/travel-community/sparklyscotty
Essays on Orato.com http://live.orato.com/node/7482
Wedding Site that I am the Editor for http://www.theweddingguide.eu

Don’t Blame the Breed

Many pet owners buy the wrong dog, for the wrong reasons, only to end up with a long-term commitment to an animal that doesn’t suit their lifestyle. Parents may finally give in to their children’s begging and buy a cute fluffy puppy, only to find themselves struggling to cope with the daily demands of an over excitable animal in the house.

While owning a dog can bring a lot of joy and benefits to a household, the choice of dog is crucial in creating a happy relationship between pet and owners. Too many times dogs end up homeless or abandoned because their owners couldn’t handle their behavioural problems. The irony is that many of these perceived ‘problems’ may be simply the natural behaviour for that breed. Terriers bark, Bostons lick, Beagles dig, Huskies pull at the lead. While these issues can be dealt with through proper training, it is important to understand and accept that they are hard-wired into the dog, and that a lot of effort and patience will be required to alter their natural behaviour. Every breed is different, and each comes with its own behavioural patterns both good and bad. Good knowledge of the breed is the key to identifying, preventing and solving behavioural issues.

There are many factors that you should take into consideration when deciding on which dog to buy or adopt. How much space do you have in your home? Size matters! While you may love Great Danes, you need to ask yourself if they will have enough space to co-exist peacefully (and safely) with you and your family, without anyone needing to step over coffee tables or squeeze around bookcases to move around the house. What type of garden do you have? If you are a keen gardener you will not want to choose a breed whose natural instinct to dig will destroy your prize-winning Dahlias. Do you want a dog for protection or as a quiet pet? If you live in a busy area and don’t want a noisy dog, then you may want to avoid territorial breeds such as Terriers.

Consider how much time you want to actively spend with your dog. If you are looking for a dog to keep you company and curl up at your feet while you catch up on your favourite series on TV, then a dog with a large amount of energy such as a Boxer is not a good choice. On the other hand, if you are looking for a dog to take for long hikes through the countryside, then you will need a breed with stamina and a good muscular and respiratory system to keep up. If you dream of participating in dog shows, and training your dog to bring your paper to you, then you will have a lot more fun with an intelligent breed such as a Border Collie, while you could be tearing your hair out with a breed such as a Samoyed.

Before racing out to the pet store and picking up the cutest pup available, spend time doing some research. There are plenty of good websites and books available that can explain the personality of each breed and help you to choose a good fit for your home. While you will still be responsible for basic training of your dog, your job will be a lot easier if you are not fighting against a dog’s natural instincts.

Green Weddings

It has never been more stylish to be ‘green.’ Topics such as recycling, sustainable materials and socially responsible buying used to be left to hemp-wearing, dreadlocked hippies. Now they are part of our every day lives. We are all told to be aware of our ‘carbon footprint’, we sort our rubbish into different bins, and we consider options such as ‘fair trade’ and ‘environmentally friendly’ when making a purchase. It seems like we are becoming more ‘green’ in all of our decisions, including the ones surrounding a wedding.

‘Green Weddings’ have been a hot topic in wedding glossies for months, and there lots of options to make your wedding a bit more environmentally friendly or socially responsible, starting with the invitations. Picking invitations printed on recycled paper is a start, so is eliminated unnecessary envelopes and protective tissue or sleeves. You can also add cute ‘Please recycle me’ stickers to the back of your invitations to encourage your guests to be greener. Or you could eliminate paper invitations altogether. Companies such as sendomatic.com offer an e-vite service. You can design and send your invitations to your guests via email. While it may seem unconventional, as well as reducing waste, this service has the added bonus of being able to track who has read their invite, keeping up to date on who is coming, and sharing new information about the event with your guests.

Gifts are another area where there is a great opportunity to make a little difference in the world. If you already have everything you need to start your life with your partner (i.e. toasters, towels and glassware) then give a thought to those who have very little. A simple option is to choose a charity that you and your fiancé feel strongly about, and ask that instead of buying a gift, guests make a donation in your name. You can even set up your own fundraising page at www.justgiving.com to see how much has been donated. Alternatively, at www.caregifts.org.uk your guests can buy poor families gifts on your behalf that will make a lasting improvement to their lives. Not only is this a great social effort, but it makes writing the dreaded thank you notes (or emails) much more interesting…‘Dear Aunty Sue, thank you so much for our goat.’

And then we have the wedding gown. I often feel a bit sad when I think of the millions of wedding dresses getting mouldy and moth eaten in cupboards around the world. Elaborate gowns, worn once and then hidden away. It is one of the greatest areas of waste in a wedding. Buying a new wedding dress is often the highlight of a bride’s wedding experience (apart from the wedding itself, of course!) However, why not take an afternoon to drag out your mother or grandmother wedding dress and see if it can be restyled into something you would wear. There is something deeply sentimental about wearing a dress that has been passed down a generation or two, and a talented dressmaker may be able to alter the gown to a more modern style. Of course, with retro fashions, it may only need tailored to you to look perfect. Vintage wedding gowns can be found in specialist boutiques, or online. You may even find the exact gown that you have your eye on, for hundreds less, on Ebay. And if the description says ‘only ever worn once’ you can be pretty sure that’s true.

And if you need an extra incentive to make the effort to go green, then imagine what luck and fortune will come your way in your married life if Karma exists!

Do It Yourself Wedding Invitations with Letterpress

Your wedding invitation will be the first thing that your guests see from your wedding. It may be displayed for weeks on their mantelpiece, and will probably be one of the things that they keep as a momento of sharing your special day, perhaps even ending up in a frame. They should reflect your sense of style, personality, and theme of your wedding. There are endless choices in designs for wedding invitations, from traditional and classic to bold and modern. Although professionally printed, personalized wedding stationery can often be expensive, with a bit of creativity it is easy to make your own wedding and bridal shower invitations. As well as saving your wedding budget, creating your own wedding invitations can be a fun process to share with your fiancé or bridesmaids. Your design will be unique to you, and your guests will know that their wedding invitation was handmade by you, making it even more special.

Letterpress stationery has a real air of elegance and luxury, adding depth and texture to wedding invitations. We share some tips on how to create low cost letterpress wedding invitations yourself.

‘Letterpress’ printing is an old technique where the letters and design are created in relief on a block made of metal or wood which is then coated lightly in ink and pressed onto the paper. The resulting effect is a slight impression in the printed areas, which creates a subtle but luxurious look for your wedding invitations.

Although professional letterpress machines will create the most accurate and reliable imprints, you can make your own wedding invitations using letterpress techniques. With some practice and effort, you can do your own wedding invitations and create a similar effect.

‘Ok, so how can we make our own wedding invitations?’ There are three basic elements to making your own letterpress invitations: the plate, the paper and the press. The plate is the flat element that has a reverse view of your design raised on it. The paper needs to be soft enough to take an impression, and should be high quality. The press is needed to push the plate onto the paper with a strong, even pressure to create the printed impression.

The tips below will get your started on how to create your own low cost letterpress wedding invitations:

Buy a Personalized Plate

There are many places online where you can send your design and they will send you a plate to make your own wedding invitations. Unless you are a dab hand at carving wood, casting metal, or developing polymer plastic, this is the best way to get an accurate plate for your letterpress wedding invitations.

Use Rubber Stamps

If you just want to create a small letterpress style motif on your wedding invitations, then there are hundreds of rubber stamps to choose from. Most rubber stamps have a soft foam backing between the rubber and the wooden handle, and you will need to remove this in order to be able to get sufficient pressure to create an indentation in the paper.

Use the Right Paper

Use a paper that will take a good impression. It should be thicker than printer paper and softer than most cardstock. Most letterpresses use 100% cotton paper. Ask in you local artstore for a suitable paper.

Hire or Borrow a Letterpress

Some local colleges or universities may have a letterpress machine that you can use. You may have to pay a fee to hire the use of the machine.

Build Your own Letterpress Machine!

If you are the kind of creative bride to do your own wedding invitations, then maybe you can go all the way and build your own letterpress machine to help you make your own wedding invitations. You can find instructions on how to do this, here.

Practice Makes Perfect.

Letterpressing is a specialist technique, and an art that is perfected through years and sometimes generations of practice and experience, so don’t be too frustrated if your first efforts don’t turn out perfect. Keep practicing and experimenting with different papers and press techniques and you are sure to end up with beautiful handmade wedding invitations that your guests will love.

Websites:

1 - http://www.dauphinepress.com/wedding-styles.html

2 - http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Letterpress-%26-Use-It-to-Print-Things/

3 - http://www.boxcarpress.com/

Images

Please find images for this article in my Picassa album

http://picasaweb.google.com/sparklyscotty/GAF_WeddingArticles?authkey=CCk0QiKMe1o

Research and writing assignment April 08

Research and writing assignment April 08

Letter to Congress Regarding the Conservation of the Sumatran Orangutan

Dear Member of Congress,

I am writing to attract your attention to the need of the Sumatran Orangutan. ( Pongo Abelii). This orangutan is similar to the more common (but still endangered) Borneo Orangutan (Pongo Pygmaeus) and it was only in 1996 that careful study of DNA evidence revealed it to be a separate species.

The Sumatran Orangutan has been classified as Critically Endangered by the Species Survival Commission of the World Conservation Union, meaning that their risk of extinction in the immediate future is extremely high unless action is taken to protect this species and their habitat. The decline in numbers of this species has been pronounced. While records show that there was somewhere in the region of 225,000 orangutans in Borneo alone less than 100 years ago, studies in 2002 showed the numbers of these animals to be less than 3,500. The largest threat to this species is loss of habitat from forest fire and human activity.

The Sumatran Orangutan is a large animal that can weigh up to 200 pounds. They have a muscular, stocky body with disproportionately long arms, short legs and no tail. Orangutans are a strong example of how a species evolves in very specific ways to optimally adapt to their environment. They spend most of their lives in the trees, and their strong arms allow them to easily grab branches and support their weight as they move. Their smaller, bowed legs are unable to bear their weight for long periods of time, or to travel over long distances on the ground.

Their physiology is designed to help them move, forage and survive in their natural habitat in the trees, making it difficult for them to adapt to a new environment on the ground or to escape quickly from the threat of a forest fire.

They have long lifespan of an average of 35 years in the wild. Their reproductive cycle is markedly slow, with females only bearing one offspring at a time, and having a long inter-birth interval. This slow life history is a contributing factor to their endangerment, as populations take a long time to recover from decreased numbers.

An effective conservation plan would include various initiatives and legislation that would see a combined effort from governments, commerce and public sectors. Some elements of a multi-faceted conservation plan are outlined below.

Tighter regulation of deforestation

Illegal logging is one of the most immediate threats to the Pongo Abelii population. This includes deforestation in protected areas of Natural Park.

Closer monitoring and regulation of commercial logging and prevention of illegal logging is needed to prevent this destruction of natural habitat.

Not all deforestation is illegal, and some areas of rainforest are being destroyed in order to make use of the land to create sources of food and income for local people. While these efforts are admirable, careful investigation must be done on areas of forest before converting to agriculture in order to determine the full effects on the ecology.

Tourism

There are many possibilities of how tourism can be used in a positive way to help preserve the rainforest habitat and conserve endangered species such as the Sumatran Orangutan.

Public education for tourists, funded by the government, aimed at encouraging appreciation and awareness of the natural environment this can create a demand for visits to the area. Increase of tourism revenue such as entrance fees, taxes, licenses can generate revenue to support the conservational parks. Tourism can also provide a variety of jobs and income for a local area that may help to decrease a dependence on cash flow from illegal logging.

An increase in tourism must be coupled with a promotion of responsible tourism practices that may affect the local ecology through environmental management and planning. For example, there should be strict guidance on waste disposal, use of non-toxic products, careful planning into infrastructure such as roads and buildings so to minimize the impact of increased human traffic in the area.

Increased funding for research facilities in areas where orangutans are native.

These facilities could double as tourist attractions and public education centres, furthering goals previously mentioned in this conservation plan. This approach has proved successful in the protection of many endangered species in areas such as Hawaii and the Dominican Republic.

Orangutans are the only great ape species to be found naturally outside Africa, and the only existing population remains on the island nations that make up Indonesia making them an important species to study to learn more about the historical migration patterns of the great apes. Fossil evidence shows that these orangutans were once found across continental Asia, and how they ended up in such isolated population clusters is a question that is worth studying. Another interesting area for study is the long time that young take to be weaned from their mothers. Orangutans are very solitary animals, and yet their offspring may remain with them for 7-8 years despite the fact that they achieve optimal strength, mobility and the skills needed for independent survival after as little as 3 years, and a maximum of 6. While there are hypothesis surrounding this behaviour there is no conclusive reason for this reliance on indirect maternal care. Since Orangutans share 95% of human DNA the results of research could prove useful to our understanding of human development both in a current and historical context.

There have undoubtedly been other species of great apes between Africa and Indonesia that are now extinct that may have helped to shed light on how various primate species (including early humans) evolve and migrate. It is crucial that we do not let another primate species suffer the same fate.

Sincerely,

Works Cited

Renner, Swen C. “Orangutan” Great Apes Survival Project. 2008 United Nations Environment Project. 6^th May 2008 www.unep.org/grasp/docs/Orangutan.pdf

“Environmental Impacts of Tourism” United Nations Environment Project Division of Technology, Industry, and Economics 6^th May 2008 www.unep.fr/scp

Sustainable Consumption & Production Branch

Marni Pyke. "An appeal for the apes Orangutans are dying by the thousands as habitat is destroyed :[All Edition]. " Daily Herald [Arlington Heights, Ill.] 19 Oct. 2007,5. ProQuest Newsstand. ProQuest. Shatford Library, Pasadena, CA. 9 May. 2008 http://www.proquest.com.ezp.pasadena.edu/

"Life Sciences; Research conducted at Harvard University, Department of Anthropology has provided new information about life sciences. " Science Letter 15 Apr. 2008: 3574. Health Module. ProQuest. Shatford Library, Pasadena, CA. 9 May. 2008 http://www.proquest.com.ezp.pasadena.edu/

Gijsbertus G. J. van Adrichem, Sri Suci Utami, Serge A. Wich, Jan A. R. A. M. van Hooff, Elisabeth H. M. Sterck. "The development of wild immature Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii) at Ketambe. " Primates 47.4 (2006): 300-9. Sciences Module. ProQuest. Shatford Library, Pasadena, CA. 9 May. 2008 http://www.proquest.com.ezp.pasadena.edu/

Arthur Max Associated Press. "Orangutans flee threatened habitat Illegal logging destroys Indonesian rainforests; 98 ; degraded by 2022 :[Final Edition]. " Journal - Gazette [Ft. Wayne, Ind.] 12 Jun 2007,6A. ProQuest Newsstand. ProQuest. Shatford Library, Pasadena, CA. 9 May. 2008 http://www.proquest.com.ezp.pasadena.edu/

Essay for WeddingFashionPolice Blog May 08

Sex in the City: The Wedding Dress Controversy

Sex in the City has always had its roots in fashion. From Series 1, millions of women tuned in religiously each week to see what quirky trend Carrie would set next, what waiting list Samantha was on for the next must-have bag of the season, and what shoe designer was set to become the next household name. The fact that few of us could afford the price tags to accompany the labels didn’t stop us from getting excited over a glimpse of a new pair of silk Manolo pumps, or a crocodile skin Berkley bag that looked large enough to house a family of small dogs. The show was more about how you expressed yourself, and the fashion always seemed accessible.

The end of the series created a void in many women’s television schedules that was ironically filled with uniform clad characters working in hospitals or police stations. It seemed we had to return to the glossy magazines for fashion ideas. While these fashion bibles have always been a staple of any good girl’s style education, they remain aloof and impersonal in typical bookish manner. Only TV can give us real, moving, breathing, menstruating, weight-fluctuating, job switching women to give us examples of how we can mesh the random collection of items in our wardrobe into our own individual sense of style. And the SITC girls did it so well.

So it’s no surprise that the launch of the movie has created such a flux of fashion commentary. Reams of paper and billions of kilobytes have already been filled with comments, both bad and good, about what the girls are wearing, with Carrie’s wedding dress causing the most sensation.

Like most of Carrie’s outfits, the Vivienne Westwood creation is pure love-it-or-loath-it fashion. While most people express an overwhelming dislike for the gown, I find it hard to see why. The silk gown is immaculately tailored and does a fabulous job of making Sarah Jessica Parker’s androgynous frame look feminine, and although it does have over-top proportions of buffon layers and highly stylized bodice it is noticeably lacking in any frills, ruffles, sparkles or sequins to push the designer statement over the edge. At the end of the day (or the movie) would you really expect to see Carrie in anything that resembled an off-the-rack, run of the mill gown? This is a lady who wore a pink tutu in public. Imagining her gliding up the aisle in an elegant silhouette satin number or timeless princess cut gown seems out of character.

Such classic style was better expressed by Charlotte in her Badgley Mischka gown for her wedding to Harry, or her Vera Wang gown when she married Trey. Miranda might wear an ivory suit, while Samantha would dare to bare- swanning down the aisle in ... well, it just wouldn’t happen, would it? Each woman has her own unique personality, which is reflected through their choice in clothes. We have watched these characters for years, and have grown to love them and their sense of style.

One of the things we loved most about Carrie was her quirky dress sense, and who better than Queen Viv of the Fashionverse to help her make a bold look on her wedding day.

It’s in the bag!

I must be one of the only women in the world who doesn’t love purses. I see them as a bit of a logistical nightmare. Too small and I can’t cram in the kitchen sink; too big and I look like I have stolen some homeless person’s holdall. Try to add fashion or style to the mix, and I end up tearing my hair out praying that Prada’s next must-have-bag will be inspired by Mary Poppins.

However, as a functional element of a working gal’s wardrobe, there is no escaping it. It is crucial that a bag that will be carried, used and displayed in the course of your working day be carefully chosen, and well organized. A purse is a very visible part of your professional image and there are a few key points to consider before throwing one over your shoulder and marching into the rat race.

Size

Try this exercise: Make a list of the items that you think that you will need for your working day. Once you are happy with the ideal contents for your bag, take your current purse and lay everything inside it out on the floor. (If the surface of your coffee table is sufficient, I applaud you!) How many of the items on your list do you actually carry in your bag? How many extra items are there that are unnecessary clutter and weight? Decide on your final selection of must-have items, and this will give you an idea of the size of bag that you need. Keep in mind that the contents of your purse will invariably grow to fit the size of the bag, so try to be ruthless. If you frequently find yourself loaded down with paperwork, magazines, newspaper or other large items, then it’s time to find a briefcase to carry these items neatly and safely without overstuffing your purse.

Invest in ‘compact’ items, such as a collapsible hairbrush, or travel size deodorant and lipstick to keep the size and weight of your purse to a minimum.

Comfort

Years of hauling around heavy textbooks has permanently damaged my right shoulder. When I went to see a doctor, he sighed and said that it is a more and more common problem in young women, with heavy shoulder bags causing problems such as joint strain, muscle tension, headaches and nerve damage. Your bag should never be so heavy that it is tiring or painful to carry it throughout your day. The more weight your bag has, the wider and thicker the strap should be to prevent damage. If you find yourself constantly clutching your bag while dragging the strap back up to your shoulder, then perhaps a handheld purse will suit you better. Or opt for a shorter strap which you can wear over your forearm.

Style

Your purse should match your working wardrobe. Think about what colour you wear most, and choose a bag that compliments that colour scheme. If you like to change bags with the latest fashion or your outfit then make sure the contents of your bag can be swapped quickly and easily. Choosing a bag that is simple and classic will mean that it will match most styles, and stay in fashion longer. Avoid bags with gaudy patterns, quirky themes, or fussy embellishments, as these can be seen as unprofessional. Unless you work for a fun office with no dress code and no meetings with outside clients that Ms. Kitty packed lunch box style purse is not going to cut it.

Organization

Every month I have a recurring handbag nightmare. I am in an interview and reach into my bag for a pen to take an important note, but instead of my trusty ballpoint out flies a tampon (which manufacturers now so thoughtfully package in subtle fluorescent colours). A similar nightmare involves me meeting a new contact and rushing to find a business card to hand over, but leaves me fumbling among half empty chewing gum packets and crumpled receipts.

Both of these scenarios are very real and easily avoided by keeping the contents of my bag in good order. As a good rule of thumb, try to clean out your bag once a week. Discard any old receipts or notes that you don’t need, and condense your contents back to the basics.

Bags with divisions are great, and I try to find bags with at least two main compartments: one for business (notepad, pen, business cards), and one for personal (mirror, hairbrush, lipstick). Pockets can be great for storing quick-access items such as your cell phone or car keys, but you need to remember where things are for them to be efficient. Having individual compartments for your lipstick, house keys, mints or check book is great for making your bag look neat and clutter-free, but any air of organization is quickly going to evaporate if you have to spend five minutes rummaging in each compartment to find what you need.

Until Prada makes that magical ‘Mary Poppins’ bag, this advice should keep your purse choices practical and professional.

Do You Want Your Job?

My mother was a teacher for over 35 years. She was great at her job, well respected by her peers, and had built up a strong reputation and network that could pretty much guarantee her advancement in her career. Co-workers constantly told her that she should apply for assistant head, or head teacher positions, and yet she never did. Friends had a hard time understanding why. ‘You could be earning double what you are now!’ ‘You could have more flexible hours.’ Harsher criticism came from other teachers, who would see my mother’s lack of desire to move up the ranks as a lack of success, or understanding of the system. Friends had a hard time understanding why. ‘You could be earning double what you are now!’ ‘You could have more flexible hours.’ Harsher criticism came from other teachers, who would see my mother’s lack of desire to move up the ranks as a lack of success, or understanding of the system. As I went to school, and began to follow the well-worn steps I was supposed to as a well educated, middle class, suburbanite (school, university, job, marriage, kids, retirement), I joined in their confusion at her reluctance to put herself forward for promotion. I was uncomfortable with her being 'content'. Did she want to move forward, to a better job?

In fact, it was quite the opposite. My mother loved teaching. She loved being with the children, watching the light come into their eyes as they suddenly grasped a new concept. She shared their simple pride of being able to tie their shoe laces for the first time, or recite the 8 times multiplication table without a mistake. She did the job because she loved teaching; she never climbed the career ladder because she loved teaching. She was well aware that earning more money meant spending less time in the classroom and more time behind a desk. Less marking papers (she always left little smiley faces when a child got full marks) and more paperwork. More flexible hours just meant more meetings, more seminars, more training courses. She loved her job, and no amount of coaxing or criticism could persuade her to trade her calling as a classroom teacher for more money or perceived ‘success.’

My mother is the exception to the rule. I know many other people who have chosen more difficult career paths, which ultimately lead to a destination job that they never chose for themselves. Most of them have taken steps up the career ladder purely because of prompting from other people in their lives. Co-workers who they felt in competition with, bosses who persuaded them to take on more responsibilities in order to help them further their own goals, friends who helpfully encouraged them to advance, partners who they wanted to earn more money for. Some have even ended up working long hours, doing tasks they hate, in a stressful environment, simply because it is the norm in their industry or society to keep reaching for the next level. Yet in advancing they have lost their passion for the job that they originally took.

Promotion is something that many of us long for. We may want the extra responsibility, higher pay, better benefits. However, we should always check that our motivation for advancing is our own. When someone asks you ‘Don’t you want more?’ it is alright to say ‘No!’ A close friend of mine trained for years at university to be a psychiatrist, and after two years working in the field he quit and now tends bar in a quiet, sunny corner of the world. I once asked him how he could give up a prestigious career and generous paycheck for a dead-end job serving Coronitas and beer nuts. He looked at me with a face free from care and explained that he had put himself through school by working in a bar, and had always loved the job. He had graduated and got a good job until he realised that he was only doing it because it had been expected of him. In his new life as a barman he earned enough money to pay his bills and play golf every week, and he spent his free time with friends who didn’t compare cars, and saw swimming pools as a place to have fun with their kids instead of status symbols.

The following week I had lunch with another friend who was an accountant. As his experience and reputation had grown over the years, so did his paycheck, and his workload along with it. With each advancement he ‘upgraded’ his lifestyle, so although he had two cars, and a beautiful home in an upper class neighbourhood, he was working so hard to pay for it all that he had little time to enjoy the fruits of his labour. Did he enjoy his job, I asked? He laughed, ‘Does anyone enjoy their job? It’s a good job. Pays well, and in another twenty years I can retire happily to a quiet, sunny corner of the world and play some golf!’ The irony was not lost on me. I knew that he was not the kind of person who could be happy working in a bar and living day to day, but even so, I wondered how much he was in control of the pace of his life as a tide of expectations and pressures from his peers swept him to higher and higher heights within his career.

Our society loves a winner. It is ingrained in us from a very early age to do our best, to keep working towards goals, to succeed. We are driven to work hard and get to the top. With so much focus on reaching the top, it has become almost unacceptable for us to be content anywhere else. Sometimes, we are trying so hard to ‘get somewhere in life’ that we never even realise when we arrive at a place in life where we want to be. Having goals is great, as long we are sure that they are our goals and not purely the expectations of others.