Murphy's Law

Kevin Dugan has tagged me for this five things meme.  Given the season that’s in it, I’m participating :-) 

Clear Vision: I’ve always known what I didn’t want to do.  Before leaving college there were two things I knew I didn’t want anything to do with.  Firstly, computers and secondly, Public Relations.  Fifteen years of doing computer PR tells me that upon reflection I was probably a little hasty… 

First job: After leaving college my first job was fulfilling on-pack promotions for a cereal company – that’s packing envelopes. Soon after I started I was given the job of managing the fulfillment process, I soon realized you made more money doing the packing than the managing.  A useful first lesson.

Teeth: My mother was once told by a doctor to keep a hammer beside my bed and should I start to feel sick she should break my teeth. I should add this was after my jaw was wired shut due to multiple fractures from a rugby match. The teeth breaking was to ensure I didn’t choke to death…. nice thought to go to sleep with.

Microsoft: The very first PR account I worked on, back in 1991, was my current employer. I suppose you’d call that “what goes around, comes around”. On my first day of work I was given a brand new (£1,700) 386 Windows 3.1 PC.  Having never used Windows before, hey it was 1991, I clicked the down arrow on the programme manager, the screen closed and I sat for two hours wondering how I would tell my boss I had just destroyed £1,700 worth of equipment…. I have done some work on my technical skills in the intervening years.

Shrek: I have watched every frame of Shrek from begining to end probably more than 50 times. Luckily my son is now slowly weaning himself off his addiction.  At the height of his addiction, this story emerged … I think we’re OK he’s only two and a half 🙂 [As an aside.. no matter how many people you talk to, or how many books you read, nothing prepares you for the joy of parenthood. As my wife’s uncle once put it; “you can’t explain how you’re willing to die for someone you’ve only met once.”]

I think I’d like to line up: Stuart Bruce, Philip Young, Richard Bailey, John Wagner and Alice Marshall.

PS: The 200th version of “For Immediate Release” discusses the meme.