Ergophobia

Give praise to the humble list, for they bring order to our lives. Today's list is eight things I want to be when I grow up, and the reasons why I wont be.

1. Classical musician
I watch the Proms and oh, the orchestra all look so effortlessly and fabulously talented. Even the euphonium players manage a certain dignity and grace that assures you that even the beardiest of them must have a positive gaggle of groupies backstage scratching each others eyes out to clean their spit valve. But I can't make both my hands work in unison when doing even the simplest of tasks and my singing voice sounds like a weasel beng scraped over a cheap violin.

2. Prime Minister
I would enjoy absolute power corrupting me absolutely and besides, I can't think of another way I'd ever get to try and chat up Andrew Marr. Unfortunately, not unlike Coriolanus, I suspect my dislike of people would out and I might vomit if I had to pretend to enjoy shaking the hands of single mothers from a sink estate in Sheffield more than once. Not one likely to even get off the ground, then.

3. Assassin / Mercenary / Spy
Pro: Death-defying coolness. Con: Well, death.

4. Nineteenth centuary wit
Velvet smoking jackets, the adoration of a flock of London's very best sophisticates and all the young boys you can tempt to your room with the promise of a round of Canasta. But this is an occupation that seems to have been open only to men, the female equivalent being the dour Bloomsbury bluestocking who while in a hundred years may well be adored for her beautiful turn of phrase and evocative, modern prose, still isn't getting laid much.

5. Primary school teacher
Crayons! Sesame Street! 'Well Done' stickers! Cutting out and colouring in! Alphabetti spaghetti for lunch! Children! Scabby, whining, snotty children! Oh God! Ugh! The children!

6. Traveller
I wish I was the kind of person that could couch-surf my way around the world, living on 40p a day and having all manner of experiences with which I could bore friends and family upon my return. Unfortunately I am the kind of person who likes processed foods and long showers and would probably only get sucked into some religious cult for ten years on the very first stop of my round the world ticket because they promised me hot water and a Twix.

7. Museum Curator
Somewhere huge, dusty and old and full of tiny wooden cabinets like the Natural History Museum used to be before it decided everything must light up and have a button on it that a child can press. I know nothing about anything a museum might be interested in so I wouldn't last very long, but before I got fired I could relabel so many insects and bones with made up rude Latin names that it'd take them forever to find them all. Bliss.

8. Norse God
All the big things like birth, death, war and love have already been assigned, obviously, but there must still be some openings for goddesses of smaller things, I'm sure. Velour. Biscuits with currents in them. Plastic rainwear. And if my reduced stature means I never get to actually smite anyone, I could still have fun poking holes in the souwesters of nonbelievers. There doesn't seem to be much call for them these days, though.

7 September 2006

Comments

You left mathematician out of your top ten. Again.

You can still be a wicked step-mother. That sounds like a lot of fun. I don't believe in the inevitable comuppace either...

I'm afraid I've never spotted groupies for orchestral musicians. Or chorus singers.

To get groupied you need to be a soloist or a conductor.

And you'd have to deal with groupies.

You'd have to deal with a groupie called Stinky Psycho Stalker...not his real name. He can often be spotted in the Prom area always wearing the same suit and tie and with a strategic gap around him. Because of the smell. He gropes female singers

Boris Johnson... Andrew Marr...I thoroughly admire your outré taste in men.

This is a great list. I wanted number 7 and bafflingly ended up with number 5. 'Oh God! Ugh! The children!' just about sums it up.

hahahahahaha ... you are a lunatic ... no doubt about it.

My girlfriend met Andrew Marr when she went to watch the filming of the British Song For Europe competition last year. So, that might be a viable option, although you may have to endure Daz Sampson, or at least, next year's equivalent.

> my singing voice sounds like a weasel beng scraped over a cheap violin.

but that's a discussion for an otter day


> Biscuits with currents in them.

thor-ly you can't be serious.
in other news, andrew marr has moved to reporting on dried fruits' illicit sexual liaisons in response to a typing error.
;)

Norse God eh? Good gig if you get a day of the week named after you. As long as it's not Tuesday.

I fought velour and...

Whilst I agree with 2-8, I need to tell you now that whilst solo singers do get their share of groupies, trust me, orchestral players are, to a person, arrogant wankers.


They don't practice, they don't follow a conductor & they need to be beaten into submission by a large gang of rampant Oompa Loompas. Not that I'm venting here. Or annoyed. At all. AARGH!

"clean their spit valve"

Worst. Euphemism. Ever.

As for number 7, I feel a little 'covert' stickering coming on.

Why not an Oxford Don?

Then you can . . .

Have the arrogance of 1
Speak with the authority of 2
Perform the duties of 3
Be as brilliant as 4
Act towards your students like 5
Use your vacations for 6
Accumulate exhibits in your office to simulate 7
And have the power of 8

And people will tell amusing anecdotes, or horror stories of having studied with you.

Norse gods are getting fashionable again, though. See www.bifrost.no for further reference. Just thought I'd mention it, so you'll maybe be my friend once you're all powerful goddess of biscuits with currents in them and all.

I thought you were couch surfing. Just in your own flat instead of other peoples.

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