Dreams of an Irish-American Girl

Ireland 2010 055

As a child, I was constantly writing—poetry, essays, and short stories. One problem was that because the Sisters where I went to school insisted I should be right handed and switched me from my natural left hand to the right, my handwriting is virtually unintelligible. Even to me sometimes.

 

 

As a child, I was constantly writing—poetry, essays, and short stories. One problem, though–the Sisters who taught me at St. Raphael Elementary School insisted I should be right handed and switched me from my natural left hand to the right. Ergo, my handwriting is virtually unintelligible. Even to me sometimes.

 

I also have zero sense of direction. When I’m driving, Matt says, “Ring finger, Jeanne. Ring finger.” That means turn left.

 

My greatest goal as a child was to be a reporter at the Springfield, Ohio News & Sun newspaper.

 

“Oh no,” said Mother. “Girls can’t be reporters. You will be a teacher, a nurse, or a secretary.”

 

Since I had no inclination to teach anyone anything and certainly not to stick a thermometer up anybody’s butt, secretarial it was.

 

I hated shorthand and typing. However, for whatever reason, I excelled at both. Won every award in both high school and college in those subjects.

 

Today, I’m grateful. Those are very handy skills to have.

 

After my marriage broke up, I started getting secretarial work and eventually ended up at an advertising agency in Albany, NY. I was writing commercial copy but getting paid a secretary’s wage. Someone suggested I start selling radio commercials, a much more lucrative field. So I did.

 

I am not a natural salesperson. The only way I got by was by writing all the commercials which sometimes ticked off my Production Department because the client liked mine better than theirs.

 

That led to TV commercials, to a Vice Presidency in Marketing for Viacom TV and finally, to running my own ad agency.

 

Guess why? Because I can write like a dream. And I was one of those lucky kids who knew it. Shanty Gold is the culmination of every dream I ever had.

 

What did you dream of becoming when you were a little boy/girl? Please let me know.

I hated shorthand and typing. However, for whatever reason, I excelled at both. Won every award in both high school and college in those subjects.

 

Today, I’m grateful. Those are very handy skills to have.

 

After my marriage broke up, I started getting secretarial work and eventually ended up at an advertising agency in Albany, NY. I was writing commercial copy but getting paid a secretary’s wage. Someone suggested I start selling radio commercials, a much more lucrative field. So I did.

 

I am not a natural salesperson. The only way I got by was by writing all the commercials which sometimes ticked off my Production Department, but the client liked mine better than theirs.

 

That led to TV commercials, to a Vice Presidency in Marketing for Viacom TV and finally, to running my own ad agency.

 

Guess why? Because I can write. And that was my childhood dream. But Shanty Gold is the culmination of every dream I ever had.

 

What did you dream of becoming when you were a little boy/girl? Please let me know.