I was up all night thinking about a tiny thing I'd seen on Trending Topics on Twitter. A trending topic is one listed as one of the top ten most mentioned. They seem to rise and fall based on news events and commercial plugging but sometimes something takes off seemingly from nowhere. This one was 'In 1998 I". I scrolled along looking at what people had written. Age seems to have struck. To me 1998 seems clear and not too distant or different from now. To the Twitterverse, it is an ancient time. There were loads and loads of people saying they were seven, had got their first bike, or seen their first band. Some people talked about finishing school, and first loves. At first, I thought I had mis-read it for 1989, but no, the majority of the Twitterverse is young, and I am old.
In 1998, I was in my first social care management job. It was the year that someone said in my presence to a colleague that I was good and would probably end up managing them. I war arrogant to believe it was true. That year, I took a health service management diploma (the residential was near High Wycombe) and an introduction to psychology module with the OU at Brighton. I loved Brighton but have never been back. I did the work for them during night shifts (one or two a week) and worked hard to get the service I was running as good as it could be. I was ambitious and had a career plan.
We were at last saving some money, but still trapped in early '90's negative equity and all in our one bedroomed flat. The kids shared a room and we had a room on a corridor that should have been a dining room. I was quite in to decorating and that year I painted the walls of our room teal and put up seaside prints that I bought in Brighton. Nick got good at keeping roses, the yellow ones bloomed outside of the window.
In 1998 my best friend was H. She was at the beginning of a life-changing health problem, but neither of us were to know the full extent of that for another year. We did our nails, falsies in bright colours were in, as were the Spice Girls. Mobile phones were arriving, I got my first one for Christmas. We had a computer at home, but no internet, I used it for assignments. Between H, work and study, it felt like I was hardly at home. Nick left me to my freedom though, and we were happy when we were together. We would drive out with the kids to family pubs in the country and eat lunch while they played on slides.
Towards the end of the year, I started applying for jobs. I wanted a promotion so that we could move house quicker, I thought it would take a long time. In the event, I applied for three jobs, was invited for interview at all of them. Went to two interviews and was offered the one that seemed the best anyway. It was at PIA but I didn't start until 1999.
What strikes me was how confident I was and what energy I had. I would never consider taking on a quarter of it now, and yet I managed it all fairly well. I was strong and hopeful. I wonder if I will look back in ten years time and admire the person I am now. Shamefully, I doubt it.
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