I had the rare opportunity to go out with my partner yesterday. We have kids…enough said. Over a light lunch I asked my partner for some starting points for blogs, some inspiration from which to write about. He’s quite good at this and really gets what I mean and suggested a couple of ideas but it was later that day, during our planned outing that the best idea arrived into my fuzzy head.
We had tickets to a wine tasting afternoon, and I had already had a serious chat with myself about hangovers, my inability to handle wine these days and the need to get home at a reasonable hour for the babysitters.
But the afternoon was great fun. You were given a wine glass that you kept for the whole time and a catalogue in case you wanted to buy some wine (fat chance!). Around the sides of this large hall there must have been around 25 tables all labelled with different wine producing countries in the world. Each table had around 5 or 6 different wines making about 120 wines to try…and that was before you counted the champagne tables and the port!!!! (I imagine that those of you who know me well are having a chuckle to yourself right now, thinking you know how this will end, but I was fairly reserved).
The choices were huge. I mean I have trouble choosing what to order at a restaurant or picking a magazine to buy, but 120 wines, what could a girl do? Trying them all seemed like a reasonable strategy. (I would like to point out that you only get a small sip of each wine so don’t worry)
My difficulty with choices goes back a long way. My mother will tell you stories of me as a child, walking into a sweet shop and being transfixed by the choice of sweets available. She can still see the same look in my eyes these days.
At school I didn’t have a clue what career to chose. My careers mistress said “Well I think dear that you will just have to go out into the world and try lots of jobs until you find something you like…” a bit like the wine really….
These days we are given a huge range of choices and options, whether its in the supermarket or online shopping or perhaps deciding on a career. I know that dealing with choices can be even harder if you are a creative person as you can see so many possibilities, opportunities and ideas. They can swim before you and really send you into overwelm to the point of inaction.
So back to the wine tasting. Well suffice to say that I tasted my fair share…and someones too. After sampling the 10th white, they started to merge into one, I couldn’t really remember the others or taste much of a difference. After the 6th red, they started to taste the same as well. So much for sampling a wide range to aid decision making!
I really feel that life can be a bit like wine tasting as well – if you try too many things, with all the relative merits and differentnesses (new word!) they can all lose their appeal after a while and merge into one. I tried a lot of jobs. Some for just a day some for a few months. The maximum time in a regular job has been 2 ¾ years, a tally of which I am very proud. But now, after realising that jobs, like men and wine, have limited differentnesses, I decided to create my own path.
Perhaps the path will lead to the same place but I’m doing well. I’ve been running my own business, albeit in a variety of forms, for around 7 years now! I’ve stopped searching for the Holy Grail…the one job that sums it all up or the one hobby that will satisfy me for ever.
So I invite you to taste less options, savour each one for its unique qualities, bearing in mind that there are a limited differences. Enjoy what you chose. And next time I will sample a much smaller selection of wine!