| Exercise 1: 10 Memoir Topics plus related aspects: |
| 1. Adolescence/childhood |
| Gladioli and street playground Success as a scholar Trying to understand adults esp Parents and older siblings |
| 2.Reaching adulthood / a dangerous situation I survived. |
| Tertiary education including Candidate Officers course First car Temporary work Desperate motor accident |
| 3. My career |
| How it started? Resolute in what I wanted. 10 years of creativity / hands-on as the foundation Role became more of an expert and then to achieve promotion moved into junior management Produced stable environment Senior expert / management where managed managers. Career interferes with personal life. Spouses drift apart.Excuses. Chasing the holy grail |
| 4. A sport or game that’s been important to me. |
| Growing up in sport. Family allcommitted particularly with boxing champions, South African soccer and provincial cricket. My early successes in cricket appointed captain nearly every year from age 9 until high school completed. Achieved selection provincially Played youth soccer at a high level but a car accident caused a move into a lesser level where played until 29. chieved provincial selection. Long distance running successful achieved sub 3 hour marathon and a silver medal at the Comrades. 10 medals at Comrade and 2 Oceans My son and Golf . Now my wife. |
| 5. Middle age |
| When do you realise you are in the middle of your life When everybody goes their own way. Political circumstances exercabate this Goals are singular, family relationships take a nosedive Pension preparation |
| 6. Songs and movies that influenced my life |
| Peter Sarstedt. Where do you go to my lovely. Built on my aspirations. Rod Stewart the rocker One flew over the Cuckoo’s nest mad Portrayel of a person who had only positive thoughts even when the going was tough Pretty Women. Everybody can do good, striving for success. |
| 7. An illness |
| Wake up ? Stroke? Radial Nerve palsy Initial tests not conclusive but continued to expierience balance and walking issues further testing Neutologist diagnosis. Shock PD Feb 2004 Devastated Debilitating disease |
| 8. A move to new accommodation |
| Originally lived at home for 23 years. Could not afford anything else. Married moved to a flat for 2 years. Daughter – moved to a house. My most profitable transaction Now own three houses in South Africa |
| 9. A change in my economic situation |
| My spouse the entrepaneur developed us into a financially strong partnership My stability and lack of risk taking plus my wife’s skills were the foundation Moved to complex for theattributes of safety affording lock up and go functionality etirement gives opportunity to travel and having these properties contributessuccessfully |
| 10. An important friendship |
| Conjugal relationship experiences strong binding links. Confidence in each other built on trust and respect. |
| Exercise 2. Action Memoir aspects for 3 of the above topics. |
| 2.2.1. Adolescence/childhood |
| 1 Peed my pants the first day of school 2 Eke out a living 3 Chummy 4 Fish & chips 5 Shopping centre and my jobs 6 Results from school |
| 2.2.2. My Career. |
| Military waste of time except for sport Accident recovery Too late for University Simple job but big knowledge accumulator Asbestos throat Small salary all economic goals achieved Then a late University – not successful and started work determined to be successful Promises made must be kept learning curve MUST be maintained 9 years then 32 years Successful retirement |
| 2.2.3. Adulthood / Survival |
| Finished military – about to go to university. Sister & husband negative towards each other Took my sister out to a club On way home had an accident Describe and explain medical process that occurred thereafter Dad and exhaust pipe. 56 days in hospital. Went home in a spiker Front section taken out. Walked? Had January well into recovery. First plaster cast in May No Sport |
| Exercise 3. Survey of Topics. |
| Topic most operstional – My career |
| Topic most focused – Adulthood |
| Topic most functional. – Adulthood |
| Topic most appealing – A sport or game that’s been important to me. |
| Optional exercise: A conversation that had an impact on my life |
| It was a Monday morning. I had just been summoned to the Vice Chairman’s office at 09h00. I had had similar requests in the past but this smirked of a serious issue as the excecutive PA who had called me did not know the reason so I was completely in the dark. I had one hour to contemplate the potential reason and prepare as best that I could having recognised that this could be a career limting conversation. I had already considered the most recent circumstances and had discarded my current preparation of budgets even though I knew he took personal interest. The most logical reason had developed on Friday when I found out that a management decision I had implemented some time ago had been a poor decision and it was about to cause my intentions to be questioned. I frantically revisited the circumstances which essentially had been to ignore a potential threat to our relationship with our franchise operations. The Vice chairman’s office was situated in the golden mile.ie where all the directors sat and the area was imposing. On arrival and the initial greetings had taken place I immediately sensed that I best be wary and not interrupt the proceedings. In normal circumstances the vice-chairman was easy going, strict and very effective in displaying respect and trust towards the individual. However these were not normal circumstances and I was asked to take a seat and he proceeded to define the rules of the company that I had not held up high but had preferred to implement them incorrectly.In essence two of my staff members had chosen to operate in opposition to our company and I had ignored this potential threat as impossible and taken no steps to intervene. However this dual process became an issue when the improbable happenend causing concern within our franchise base. The vice chairman proceeded in no uncertain terms to explain to me what my shortcomings had resulted in. He maintained total focus on me and by the end of the meeting there was no question that I had received a valuable lesson – one that I would never forget. I had learnt that I would involve all parties in my decision making in the future and I would immediately share it with the executive management. This conversation with the vice chairman was indeed part of my learning curve. The two staff members who did not inform us once they have received their successful appointment consequently moved out of our company. This completed this period of learning for me. |
You built up the tension in your writing with your anticipation. It was an interesting piece of writing with the life lesson to be learnt.
Pikkewyn, you put me to shame with your thorough and diligent brainstorming of topics, which read like an autobiography. I enjoyed reading this detailed outline of your life and found that we have a quite a few things in common: our nationality, our age, and therefor our perspective on many things I think. Although we do not share the same gender, we are both acquainted with the dreaded PD, which I think has been specially designed to challenge those people who like being in control.
I enjoyed reading your conversation piece and liked the tension, just as Jude has said, but would be interested t o see the same account using some direct speech.
I racked my brains but was unable to find a single life- changing conversation earlier, but now of course you have reminded me of something! Thank you.
Hi Bets
Thank you very much for your comments. I will put them too good use particularly the importance to move away from an autobiographical syle to a more story / direct speech. The subject I related was definitely not monotone and consisted of a more excited interaction of wits particularly on my part. However I am pleased that in some small way I have contributed to your own progress.