What would you really like to have done ... ?

Following on from Music's 'what would you be if you were an instrument' ... what would you be / or would you have liked to have been or done if you just could have ... ?

I worked mostly in criminal and personal injury law in the States for 13 years and then human resources / contract law in the UK for about 24 years ... but I really would have loved to have worked in Forensics. I read all books and watch programmes associated with such and can usually figure things out well in advance. T'other half wanted me to change my career to a Forensic Coroner before we left the States and I would have .. but we moved countries.

It is a strange passion I have and I collect books on the subject.

What would you do and why?

 

Looking back I regret not going to art college. I hated school and my art tutor wanted me to go on to college. I took a job as a computer operator ( in those days, machines that took at least four men to lift) for a couple of years. I then married and had three children by the age of twenty four.

When my children started school, I had three brilliant years working on the backcloths and scenery for the Royal Tournament at Earls Court. I loved every minute. I just wished then that I'd taken the time to study art earlier.

 

Sheal, you can still do that now as you are still 'young'. I took up art in the winter of 2006 through GC. There were a group of us who joined GC about the same time in the Spring/Summer of that year and then Winter came and talk about gardening lessened .. there were only about 2,000 members then and very few posting. So, we decided to set up the hobby section and I took up painting ... I was 58 at the time. I now display my paintings in various places around Algarve. Perhaps you've looked at my link ... www.victoriart.eu

It's never too late to do anything ...

 

Thanks Victoria,

My artwork was more along the line of design. But over the last couple of years I've thought of picking up a paintbrush to see just what I'm capable of. In everything I've done hobby wise with the exception of bobbin lace, I've self taught, that's the way I prefer it.

With the beautiful scenery on this island I know I will just go off one day on the spur of the moment and put brush to paper!

 

Forgoing the necessary inteligence

I would have loved to have command of a nuclear submarine as Captain
actually working as a Royal Navy Officer
I would not have wished to continue up the ladder and sit at a desk as an Admiral

My career at sea was fulfilling
Then my Job as an electronics engineer in the Gaming machine world was interesting, fulfilling both the brain work and the manual work finding and repairing faults
Currently working as a Civil Serpent wage slave bored to death waiting retirement in five months
It was the cash factor that created this,
I could (far from rich :-) retire and live on my savings until pensionable age
or wage slave for the five years, and enjoying two or three cruises a year
The cruises won

Forensic coroner/scientist very interesting, exciting even, but URGH not for me

Julie and I were once staying in an Hotel and met a couple (gay ladies actually) and one was a forensic.
She was called away mid week at about 21:00 to work on a body the Police had found yuk (dead for weeks)
It would be a facinating job IF you had the stomach for it
The way they can establish date/time of death maggots or flies rotting time of certain parts
Not for me for all the tea in China

The money would have been nice, to retire at 50 and buy a nice home and have no finnacial worries,owning a big company, but not my scene work wise

A working man I am, and that was, is my lot

Regards Jack McHammocklashing

 

I had a choice .... mechanical engineer, or dentist

chose mechanical engineering .... result .... now I'm a gardener as there is very little work in my field of engineering where I live (and I'm always skint)

looking at things now, I would not mind being a paramedic ....

 

As it turns out, I've thoroughly enjoyed the career I've had so, in a way, I guess it's good that those things I thought I wanted to do didn't materialise.

Initially I wanted to go to the London School of Fashion and train to become a film/theatre costume designer but (back then) I was told that it was '.... a waste of 'A' levels' and that I should think about '.. a career' - in other words, 'get a proper job'! So I did what was 'expected of me', went to Uni., got a degree, passed the daft tests they give you to join the Civil Service and eventually found an outlet for my 'creative' side by designing/making costumes for innumerable school plays - something I still do.

After a couple of years I got very bored with the green and cream colour scheme of government offices, decided I wanted to travel and that the best way to do that, and get paid for it, was to follow my Father and Grandfather into the Navy. I took a shorthand/typing course (since at the time it seemed to be a 'requirement'), sent off for the forms .... then discovered that, in those days, WRNS didn't actually go overseas so the best I could hope for was another office with a slightly different colour scheme!

The Civil Service did move me around a bit which was how I met my husband, so I guess, it turned out for the best - although I can't help get the feeling that I may have missed the chance to become Mrs. Robert Redford, or Mrs. Michael Caine, or Mrs ....

 

I'm still trying to write something. This generally involves typing half a paragraph, deciding that it's utter rubbish and then deleting it. At the moment, on the basis that you should start with something you know, I'm writing about my street. It has quite a story to tell. If I ever manage to complete a chapter without sending it to the recycling bin, I'll let you know.

 

I have a pretty strong stomach when it comes to such things. I saw some horrendous injuries from automobile accidents in America.

Mentioning maggots, a bit of a sad story albeit with a happy ending. A couple of weeks ago a hunting dog (a Podengo) was found aimlessly wandering around on three legs, the right front having been ripped off at the shoulder in a wild bore trap (totally illegal here). The vet said what said the dog was the maggots which had been eating the rotting flesh. The dog is alive and on the road to recovery now. Discussing this incident with friends last week, the know a women who developed some wound in her ankle which festered and became a big hole (I don't know what it was). Anti-biotics and cleaning did not help so the wound was packed with maggots (yes, this was recently) and all was healed within a week.

Fidgetsmum, a friend of mine here retired three years ago from the BBC where she was a dress/costume designer for 20 years, her last project was working on the costumes of Strictly Come Dancing. She didn't marry anyone famous but her husband is a lovely, intelligent and funny man.

 

Oh Jack, meant to say to you that being involved in forensics doesn't have to be medically associated, as you probably know. I like determining things in accidents through pressure on metal, speed impact, tyre treads, time spans, fingerprints, etc, etc, etc ... so it's not all blood and gore ... :WINK1:

 

I could handle that then and most interesting
I was denied most things as I FAILED the 11 plus,
I got my qualifications later in the RN University of life and self study

Jack McH

 

Wrns

All my WREN friends served with me abroad from1966 to 88
Wrens were my communication collegues, and who do you think did all the pay, paperwork and driving the occifers around
We had more Wrens in Naples than Matelots
Hundreds in Hong Kong,Singapore and Cape Town

Oh well I expect you do/did very well as a Civil Serpent (Your not Leslie Strathie are you ? )

Mrs Brad Pitt
I can not understand why millionaire old guys have 23 year old goregous girl friends/wives What do the girls find attractive in them ?
Yet Old Millionairesses do not seem to have 65 year old unemployed guys ?

I just can not put my finger on it
Like Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones 75 today, girl friend 22, what does she find attractive in him, is it the hair dye, or the artificial teeth, nope can't get it

Jack McH

 

ARMANDII, you beat me to it but I was going to say MONEY, MONEY, MONEY ..

They say love or money, sorry .. I couldn't do it for money ... in the various cases mentioned I would be the one having to wear the paper bag on the head so I couldn't see the person, not the other way around ....

I want to say how sad these beautiful young women are (note, I did not say ladies) but they are very astute .. and very wealthy .... sigh ...