In memoriam

Dear Bonnie,

A little while ago, I had a meeting with the HR staff at my work. Right at the end, the HR lady (smart cookie, that one) asked me this question:

"Out of all the people you know here, whose career would you most like to have?"

It's a pretty simple question, but - I'll be honest - it blindsided me.

I couldn't think of anyone. I work in a company with over 800 staff members, and I couldn't think of a single person there whose career I really wanted - not a single one.

You wouldn't believe the amount of introspection I went through over the next week or so, or the amount my husband was subjected to. What am I doing? What do I want to do? What should I be aiming for? What do I want to be? What does that even look like?

Whose career would I most like to have?

Finally my husband said to me 'well, what about that lady you were telling me about? The American one. She's pretty cool, isn't she?'

And I thought it through.

Doing interesting work. Working in an interesting field. Being the boss. Savvy enough to move into new fields when old fields are crumbling. On top of new developments at a career stage where a lot of people have kind of ossified. Learning new stuff, using new stuff, meeting new people. Helping people out. Having fun with it. Respected.

Yeah, I thought. Doug's right.

I want to be like Bonnie.