I Could Do That
I'm always on the lookout for what job I might do when I grow up. If I ever do, that is, which seems, on the face of it, unlikely.
At the moment I have two jobs - one working for an actors' agency, and one helping to teach communication skills to healthcare professionals of all types. I enjoy them both.
But I'm forever assessing other jobs. Remember Yosser Hughes from Alan Bleasdale's eighties television drama The Boys from the Blackstuff ? (oh dear, I've just found out it was way back in 1982 - I must be older than I thought I was). Anyway, Yosser, splendidly played by Bernard Hill, was unemployed and forever going up to anyone who might be able to provide him with work, saying "Gissa job! I could do that!"
And that's how I am: - always weighing up any new job I come across, to see if I could do it, should everything go pear-shaped.
Yesterday we passsed a car wash, one of those hand car washes that's done by lots of people, and I decided that's on my list of jobs I'm NOT going to do. Fine in the summer, perhaps, all that throwing water about - - but yesterday, in the freezing cold - - oh no, I don't think so.
Then I found a job I liked the look of.
It was in a documentary about people with phobias. Yes, I love anything like that. Any documentary with a title that starts "The Man Who - - " and I'm on to it at once, to find out what it's all about.
Anyway, this was about several people. There was a girl who had a phobia of knees: a woman who had a phobia of frogs: a boy who had a phobia of bananas: a woman who had a phobia of tall buildings standing on their own in fields: and, most strangely to me, a woman who had a phobia of peas ("I won't look at them in the supermarket. I think they're ganging up on me.")
There was a man, inventively called the Phobia Man - I don't think we ever got his name, it was that kind of a programme - who travelled round to visit these people, and helped to cure them.
Now then, how to do it isn't rocket science - you gradually give them more and more exposure to the thing they're frightened of - - firstly photos - - then the real thing - - whilst keeping their panic at a manageable level until finally they find they're not in a state of panic any more.
If you're thinking "All very well, but what if the phobia is about grizzly bears?" then I think we're not talking phobias, we're talking well-grounded fear. I think a phobia is when you're scared stiff of something that's not really scary. Like peas. For, even if they did gang up on you, you could easily sort the little bastards out with a pan of boiling water and a fork, couldn't you?
And that's when I thought hey! I could do that! Gissa job! Because, firstly, I think I've got the communication skills to do it, and the understanding of how people are feeling. And, secondly, I'm not scared of many of the things that people have phobias about - - spiders, snakes, heights, frogs, bananas, - - no, they hold no fears for me. Lots of things do, but these just don't. And I laugh in the face of the Green Pea Army.
I'm not making fun of anyone with a phobia, truly, because I know that fear is fear no matter what causes it. But I'd be interested to know what qualifications the Phobia Man has, and how you get to be one. Meanwhile, I think I'll stick to my present two jobs. But I'm keeping it in reserve.
At the moment I have two jobs - one working for an actors' agency, and one helping to teach communication skills to healthcare professionals of all types. I enjoy them both.
But I'm forever assessing other jobs. Remember Yosser Hughes from Alan Bleasdale's eighties television drama The Boys from the Blackstuff ? (oh dear, I've just found out it was way back in 1982 - I must be older than I thought I was). Anyway, Yosser, splendidly played by Bernard Hill, was unemployed and forever going up to anyone who might be able to provide him with work, saying "Gissa job! I could do that!"
And that's how I am: - always weighing up any new job I come across, to see if I could do it, should everything go pear-shaped.
Yesterday we passsed a car wash, one of those hand car washes that's done by lots of people, and I decided that's on my list of jobs I'm NOT going to do. Fine in the summer, perhaps, all that throwing water about - - but yesterday, in the freezing cold - - oh no, I don't think so.
Then I found a job I liked the look of.
It was in a documentary about people with phobias. Yes, I love anything like that. Any documentary with a title that starts "The Man Who - - " and I'm on to it at once, to find out what it's all about.
Anyway, this was about several people. There was a girl who had a phobia of knees: a woman who had a phobia of frogs: a boy who had a phobia of bananas: a woman who had a phobia of tall buildings standing on their own in fields: and, most strangely to me, a woman who had a phobia of peas ("I won't look at them in the supermarket. I think they're ganging up on me.")
There was a man, inventively called the Phobia Man - I don't think we ever got his name, it was that kind of a programme - who travelled round to visit these people, and helped to cure them.
Now then, how to do it isn't rocket science - you gradually give them more and more exposure to the thing they're frightened of - - firstly photos - - then the real thing - - whilst keeping their panic at a manageable level until finally they find they're not in a state of panic any more.
If you're thinking "All very well, but what if the phobia is about grizzly bears?" then I think we're not talking phobias, we're talking well-grounded fear. I think a phobia is when you're scared stiff of something that's not really scary. Like peas. For, even if they did gang up on you, you could easily sort the little bastards out with a pan of boiling water and a fork, couldn't you?
And that's when I thought hey! I could do that! Gissa job! Because, firstly, I think I've got the communication skills to do it, and the understanding of how people are feeling. And, secondly, I'm not scared of many of the things that people have phobias about - - spiders, snakes, heights, frogs, bananas, - - no, they hold no fears for me. Lots of things do, but these just don't. And I laugh in the face of the Green Pea Army.
I'm not making fun of anyone with a phobia, truly, because I know that fear is fear no matter what causes it. But I'd be interested to know what qualifications the Phobia Man has, and how you get to be one. Meanwhile, I think I'll stick to my present two jobs. But I'm keeping it in reserve.
posted by Daphne at 8:17 pm
7 Comments:
I don't think many people do the job they would choose. My shortest job was betterware saleman. (remember the case) I left mine in a pub in Ilkesten after four hours.
I'm still unsure if this is what I want to do long-term. I enjoy the functional role a lot but am unsure of the sector (professional services), having done 10 years in it. Really feel like doing a similar job but in another sector.
I would love to work for an NGO or other international body. Something that makes a difference. Not something too dry (much of prof services is vvvvvvvvv dry), though thankfully not the bit I'm currently in.
When I was doing my Psych degree this was relatively new. It was called, as I recall, Systematic Desensitisation. And I'm quite sure you could do it, Daphne! We did a bit on each other using a conductivity meter to measure fear reaction (amount of sweating), and measuring to make sure that repeated exposure was reducing the reaction. In addition, you can present something calming (like a favourite food or massage) which tends to be incompatible with a fear reaction.
well on the lines of strange phobias i do have a phobia of the magic round about and pink floyd, stuid i know, both of there music just freaks me out for some reason, and as for the walking hammers i would rather not talk about it, i however do not feel like they are ganging up on me, and im sure i could take either of them in a fight, they just freak me out is all.
when pink floyd came on at Ollie and Gareths wedding i was upstairs in my room with my hands over my ears going 'lalalalalala' up until that point jason thought i was winding him up about my fear of pink floyd.
and oh my gods you swore :S
i feel slightly like my world has been turned upside down
and im sure you could do that job, sounds relatively easy, i had a fear of wool in my mouth, so every time i get slightly freaked, i put wool in my mouth and then my brain goes ' ha this is not a problem ya great tatty' and im fine :D
sorry this has rather rambled on a bit, its the swearing thats done it :D
XxX
I could try the job. I'd fail miserably as my approach would be more physical. You know, a smack upside the head and a 'snap out of it' kind of thing. I'm pretty sure that job would require patience, of which I have none!
Daphne, I don't think that "I'm not scared of many of the things that people have phobias about" is a qualification for this job because a little empathy goes a long way. But you would have to learn not to be scared of the things that do scare you before they would hire you, if they're worth their salt.
Thanks for all the comments, everyone - yes, Kim, I do swear, but I like to keep written swearing to a minimum for maximum effect!
RWP - I don't think it matters what I'm scared of - - the things I'm scared of aren't irrational, they're of things like diabetes complications and being run over. I don't think I have any phobias, that's the key thing, but I do know what fear feels like!
Post a Comment
<< Home