The Thing is …
May 8th, 2007
It’s not a big Thing for you. But it is the Thing for me.
So just to lower your expectations:
I am not getting married
I am not pregnant
I am not leaving the country
I am not moving
And it has nothing whatsoever to do with him
Sorry to disappoint you.
The Thing is …
I kiss S. on the cheek, because I know he likes that.
“Good to see you” I say.
“And you” he blushes and smiles back.
“So where are we going today - Magrathea, Ursa Minor, perhaps a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster on …?”
“Notting Hill”
“HAHA good one!” I look at him.
“Oh you were serious”.
“Yes” he said.
“I didn’t know you liked Notting Hill”
“Well, there are some people I want you to meet” he says.
“Huh, what people?”
“They do something with film making or something. I told them about you, they want a talk”
“Wow, wait a minute! I am not looking for a job just yet - I have zero, zip, nada experience, and …”
“I thought, you know, film school and such” he is remarkably calm.
“Well no! I have written a tiny script, and made 90 seconds of crap on film school, but that’s about it that’s no way near enou…”
“Aha, well they expect us kind of now. I thought .. you talked about dream jobs and …”
“I meant that 5 years from now I might go look for one. As I told you last time, I can’t even define what job I want. I really have no idea …”
“I know that, “something with film making” you said” he said.
“Yeah, and you can’t find a job with a definition like that - so - I would say - the Pan Galactic Gargle …”
“The job they have is new, and somewhat undefined, and they described it as “something with film and documentary making”. All they want is someone with passion, so I think that sounds quite a bit like you.”
“Wha..? Oh .. Ah… Ehrm …”
“Talk with them, if you don’t like it, it’s off to the Gargle Blasters.”
And so he delivered me at their office in Notting Hill. And I went in. And they were nice. And I said - no experience! And they said - but S. said lots of passion! And I said yeah! And they said - so do you want the job. And I said - I have to think about it. Which I did - for about 0.0000042 seconds. And I said OK! And they said great! And so I quit my IT job today. And I start my new job, which is “something with film and documentary making” on the 18th of June.
Weird story eh? But it is true.
S. and I drank 5 Gargle Blasters afterwards. And I told him that he is the coolest man I know in the Galaxy.
He really is. He rocks.
(A few notes on this:
It’s corporate documentary making, so it’s not going to run in your local cinema or on TV.
I have no idea if I can do this, it’s totally new and different from what I have done. It’s a risk I have to take, if I mess it up I can always go back to an IT job.
It feels very very weird to say goodbye to IT after 22 years. (22 years - I must be out of my mind)
This is an amazing opportunity to step into another world.
I wasn’t looking for a job at all, it happened to land on my path!
If all goes well it changes producing my own short film from “a dream for the future” to “something really doable”).
So - that’s The Thing.
“It’s never too late to be what you might have been”
George Eliot
May 8th, 2007 at 11:31
That is a huge thing. Congrat. Very nice indeed.
May 8th, 2007 at 11:33
Wow! That certainly is a big “Thing”!!!
Congratulations on taking the plunge and starting a new life:) I admire you and best of luck!
May 8th, 2007 at 11:34
unreal! I’m speechless. Congratulations! wow! As Einstein would have said, only dead fish go downstream. You seem to be jumping out of the water all the time.
Hope your new salary will cover the rent for your apartment :-))
Tschaka!
May 8th, 2007 at 14:46
Whoopee! Your the most courageous girl I “know”. And your courage pays off. Good luck for the new challenge!
May 8th, 2007 at 15:23
Oh geweldig! Mijn respect voor jou is groeiende…!
May 8th, 2007 at 15:28
(En het was al GROOT!)
May 8th, 2007 at 18:33
Marvellous! Fantastic. Taking off the parachute and leaping out of the plane. It is the only way to learn to fly. Just think, the next interview like this you have, you won’t be saying no experience any more. You will have totally gleaned experience here.
Congratulations.
May 8th, 2007 at 20:19
Utterly awesome :D But you deserve it!!
Aaaand… you’re having a holiday until mid-June?!? YIPPEEEEE
May 8th, 2007 at 22:18
@Jane -Thank you! :-)
@Grigorisgirl - Thank you! I hope I can swim :)
Don’t ask me how I got this job, because I have no idea. I am astonished, and surreal is the word that comes to mind. Surreal but nice. And scary a bit too.
@Joachim - I don’t need to move, I am sharing a flat (the only way to go if you want to live in London). Working corporate means there is normally more money available than in feature film making.
@Zazz - thank you :-)
@Cockie - dank je , I don’t know what to say!
@Paul - thank you - it is scary indeed, but I am going to give it my best.
@Jill - life is good, but that would be pushing it :-) I have one month resignation, so I have to work until the 8th of June at my current job. Then I have one week holiday and then I’ll start with the Thing. :-)
May 8th, 2007 at 22:50
Congratulations, that news is aces! Like something in a movie! (Who would you like to see play YOU when they cast the film?)
May 9th, 2007 at 08:31
How’s that for the universe treating you right !!!!
I hope you are going to luuuuuuve your new job !
And for now, just enjoy that fantastic view in your office ;o)
Congratulations and celebrations, lalalalalalalalalalalalaaaa…
May 9th, 2007 at 08:37
Wow..and a big smile, that’s all I can say / do! What a great Thing! You can do it, I’m sure of that :-)
May 9th, 2007 at 21:53
Ingrid, that’s wonderful!!! Congratulations and have fun! The galaxy is yours, all you have to do is steer. :-)
May 10th, 2007 at 07:38
Congratulations ! As someone stuck in IT as well I can certainly appreciate why after twenty odd years you want to move on. Actually achieving something at the end of the day will be amazing. My every best wish for the future - can’t wait to read about it !
May 10th, 2007 at 10:40
@Michele : who would I want to play me, now that is a very good question. I have to think about that for a while.
@Annerie - I think it’s scary how right the universe is treating me at the moment. I am very grateful for it doing that believe me.
@Anne - thank you!
@KV - thank you for stopping by. Yes steering, that takes some practising, but I am trying my best :)
@Mark - thank you! Ask me again half a year from now, but at that point I can probably recommend you to leave IT all behind.
May 12th, 2007 at 16:52
See, this is what happens when I start with the latest post and work backwards … I am really excited for you. 22 years is a long time and you’ll be learning lots of new things (whether or not you are making corporate documentaries or war documentaries or feature-length films, the process is the same… way to go, Ingrid! My hat’s off to you!!