Dr Who and I have a lot in common. Every now and again, we can’t help it, we just have to regenerate. I’ve reinvented myself several times during my adult life: I’ve been married, widowed, married again, then become a mother. In career terms too: a journalist, a PR consultant, a marketeer. All along, it’s been the same old me underneath, but I’ve just added another layer, an extra dimension. I’ve just evolved a little bit further.
I feel quite a lot like Mary Poppins, too. No matter how much I’ve loved my current job – I’ve danced on the rooftops, fed the birds, tidied the nursery, ridden the carousel – I know in my heart that it’s time to slip away and move on. And while Jane and Michael Banks might think they can’t function without me, not only will they manage, but soon they won’t miss me at all. I’ve imparted sufficient wisdom. My work here is done.
I’ve had a sign in my office for some years that says “When your heart speaks, take good notes”. (Not far from the one that says “The Romans didn’t build an empire by having meetings – they did it by killing everyone who opposed them.”)
The thing is, no matter how much you enjoy the carousel ride, sometimes you just want to get off and have a go on the dodgems. And in a few hours’ time, I’m going to climb aboard.
