All getting a bit profound here Mal…!
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Mundane, profound…almost life - just missing the silly bits?
Mal
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Too deep for me Mal; I have problems spelling “existential”.
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What? No issue Dictionary?
Surely an essential self buy for the clerical duties?
Mal
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If one needed a dictionary by the time I got to working in a Divisional Headquarters, then I was in the wrong job. Sure, a dictionary would be part of my personal office library, along with bespoke stationery, the Joint Service Publication 101 “Service Writing”, and a filched copy of “Staff Duties in heh Field”, plus, and I would still murder the swine who pinched it, my own home-made guide to map marking, compiled when I was in the throes of transferring to the Intelligence Corps (obviously didn’t quite come off!).
I still recall that fateful interview in the Army Careers Office post the entrance exam back in 1969:
Recruiting Sergeant: “Well young Stoddart, you’ve done very well in English, but not so hot on maths and the mechanical reasoning tests”.
Me, with dreams of driving tanks or jumping out of aircraft:
“So what does that mean Sarge?”
Recruiting Sergeant: “Well, we think that with your use of the English language you’d make a jolly good Staff Clerk in the Ordnance Corps”.
Me: “What do they do Sarge?”
Recruiting Sergeant: “Well, you’d be working in HQs, often alongside very senior officers, or even Embassy postings, all over the world; and promotion is very good”.
Me: “Do they have a Junior Leaders?” (The system whereby one could join at age 15, endure 2½ years training and education, and end up qualified to Warrant rank ready to hit the world age 17½.)
Recruiting Sergeant: “Oh yes son”.
Me: “Right I’ll have some of that Sarge”.
I paraphrase, but that’s roughly how it went down.
And arguably, he was right!
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Hmm, begs the question - did you get to drive tanks or jump out of aircraft?
Mal
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'Did the tank driving Mal: T55 in Zimbabwe, Scorpion and Chieftain in Oman; somewhere along the line, I’d forgotten I don’t like heights, so that small ambition was extinguished.fairly rapidly.
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I’ve done static line twice, tandem parapent & para sailing. Scarier was gliding - the landing part. Found I don’t like ‘low heights’, but high heights with a parachute - less troubling.
Haven’t driven any tanks but RC, but had a couple of rides & have crawled over, under & in a few
Mal
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