After I left university, I was a bit lost. I hated my course so I only did one year there. On my first day back home my mum plonked a newspaper in front of me whilst I was still in bed and said "You'd better get a job then". I think both my parents were disappointed that I hadn't made the most of the opportunities they hadn't had.
Now, grafting had never been a problem for me. I started my working life at 13 washing pots at my Uncle's restaurant on a Saturday night for my pocket money. Over the years I had a lot of crappy jobs, McDonalds being the crappiest of them all. I'd started there whilst at college and that's where I ended up after I left Uni. Now, don't get me wrong, the job was crappy, but I had a great social life with my colleagues and I still stay in touch with some of them. Most, if not all of my fellow "Crew Members" have moved on from the Golden Arches as it's usually a stop gap for people who are still studying or, like me, had no clue what they wanted to do with their lives.
Eventually, my dad took pity on me, or he'd had enough of me rolling in at 2am after a late shift and waking the house up, and he gave me a job at his company answering phones and helping the book-keeper. I lasted about 9 months! Office work was not for me. In the end my parents realised that I was not cut out for a boring 9 to 5 and my mum suggested trying out for an entertainer position at a holiday park.
Less than a month after that suggestion I was heading off to Brean in Somerset to be a Bluecoat at Pontins. The money was absolutely awful but that year was a blast and it set me off on my path to becoming a singer. I eventually gave up being a Bluecoat and joined my first band, Colour Code. They were a lesson in what not to do but I'd have to dedicate a whole other article on them so lets just say they were a nightmare.
Over the years I was a member of 3 different bands and I travelled the World and thoroughly enjoyed my life. It all came to an end when I was working in the UAE and things were heating up in the Middle East. My parents were not happy I was out there even though I was nowhere near any conflict and then my Abuleo became ill so I decided to take some time out and live in Spain with my Dad's family.
It didn't last long, the curse of itchy feet and a total lack of direction in my life saw me moving on to Ibiza where a friend from the Ships was working as a magician. I dossed around there for a few months working as a karaoke assistant until I finally moved back to the UK.
At this point I was 25 years old and living with my parents again. So not a good idea after years of doing what the hell I liked. It was tough! I got a stop gap job at a solicitors/claims management company and in my head I was going to work there until I could break into the West End or find another band.
At this point you are probably thinking I didn't have any plans for my life, and yes, I didn't have any clear plans but my time with my first band had shown me that I couldn't be a female singer forever. We have a shelf life, especially fronting bands and at some point we end up with no work and no money. Something I definitely knew I did not want!
It was at this stop gap job that I finally found the thing that excited me and I knew I could do until I retire. It was the last thing I expected.......
Somehow, and I'm still not quite sure how it happened, I became an Accountant. Yes, an Accountant. The stereotypical boring Accountant. I get a little glow of happiness when my Trial Balance balances. I do a little "happy dance" when I find and correct an error and all those check boxes fall to zero on my spreadsheets. I have taken so many exams and studied so hard my old professors would be shocked. I am even such a glutton for punishment that I am now studying toward the Chartered Insurance qualification.
My life has direction and better yet I still get to sing a little (just in case I get too boring.)
So, if there are any young adults reading this who feel like they don't know what the hell they are doing, trust me, one day you will find your "thing" and in the mean time, have fun! My time travelling has done me no harm and neither has my earlier lack of direction. In fact it has made me a better and more worldly wise person and I am very thankful for that.
To the parents of any directionless people, trust in them and support them. My parents did and it turned out okay.