It has been a funny few days.  I have been organising the end of season meal for No 1’s rugby team.  A difficult enough job at the best of times but this year it has been a diplomatic nightmare trying to avoid toes to tread on.   Finding a date that all can make, organising the awards and hiding them from my own children not to mention organising the coaches and buying the gifts they have to present.   The meal did however go better than I expected, so we advance into their final youth year; a strong successful team of developing young men.

I went for an interview yesterday.  A job had come up at the school the older boys attend; in the reception office for longer hours and only for maternity cover.   Both boys insisted on a lift the mile to school, so on the proviso of no fighting and definitely no stressing of mum; I took them to school.   On reaching the school gates I indicated to turn in.

“Don’t drive into school with us Mum”

They would be mortified to be seen getting out of my car.  I parked outside the school on the road and they leapt from the car as if their lives depended on it.    I was escorted in by one of No 1’s friends who was only too delighted not to walk in with his older sister but to chat to me about the weekend.

There were seven of us being interviewed for the position; all in good jobs already but all prepared to leave and take a year long post at a low wage.  Is this a sign of the times?  Apparently there were over 50 applicants for this job and they had narrowed it down to seven.

I didn’t get the job.  They managed to whittle it down to four of us and then found it hard to decide but the lady who got the job will do a great job and I think she was probably the best.  Why wasn’t I the best?  I have honed my CV to catch the attention but I falter at this final step every time.  The feedback is always positive; I answered the questions correctly and said all that I should and it is always a close call but the other person always has something.  Whatever it is that other person has, I want some; to pull out in times of need.

I admit I felt  a lot of hesitancy; it was a lot more hours and childcare would become an issue.  The temporary nature was another big issue and in the current job market was a factor in my reluctance.  Maybe I did not portray my enthusiasm as well as I could.  They are going to keep me on file as they think other jobs may come up better suited to my experience.   I was not disappointed when the call came.  In some ways I was relieved I didn’t need to go through that wind down period of guilt while everybody blames you for leaving a sinking ship.

It now leaves me to concentrate on my writing.

I have not done much writing myself but I have developed my reviewing methods, which also give me an insight into reviewing of my own story.   I have also received 6 reviews on “Memories”, none of them as harsh or critical as Ericj’s original attempt.

The remaining critiques all agree the story line is good and going somewhere although none seem sure where.  Each one of them has picked up on one or two of the critical clues fed in to lead the story, they comment these don’t seem right or in keeping with what they have read.   They are not meant to!  Unfortunately they seem confused by these bits.  It is difficult to know where a story is going when you have a maximum of 7000 words from an 80,000 word novel.  I think sometimes these critics need to remember you cannot reveal the whole plot in the first chapter or you might as well not finish the novel.

Onwards and upwards; there is work to be done on it, but the essence of the feedback is that the story has the potential to run.  Now I need to hone down my basic grammar and spelling.  Maybe No 1 son would help; as he has his second module for GCSE English in a couple of weeks.  I have agreed to read and help with his homework so just maybe………..

Tiggy