Was that me?

It’s funny how much and what you forget as you get older. S, a very good friend of mine came over and two things she said about the old me shocked me. Or should that be the younger me?

S and I met when I went to work for the advertising agency where she was a Director in charge of client services. Initially I was a temp and then permanent. We kept in touch and it was later we became close friends.

Anyway I was showing her the hairstyles I’d selected from uploading my photo to www.thehairstyler.com and she commented how I had this annoying bit of hair that kept falling into my face when she interviewed me that was enough not to want to work with me or have to resort to some scissors. She then went on to remind me that I was rejected but rang her up and bullied her to give me the job.

I couldn’t remember this and didn’t recognise myself but apparently the younger me was suitably ballsy. Apparently armed with the 3 points the recruitment agent gave me as reasons I wasn’t chosen, I called up and said “Can I talk to you about why I didn’t get the job?” “Point number 1 was … but although it didn’t come up in interview I have done x, y and z” “Does that sound like it’d fit your needs?” “Good, point 2 was …..” “…. So that’s point 3 covered. Do you have any objections regarding my suitability?” “You don’t. Great – then I get the job!”

What was funnier was S’s reaction when I commented about students on their sandwich year wearing inappropriate clothing to the office. We had ‘pots’, ‘kettles’ and ‘black’ as she recalled me in my early/mid twenties surprising her by sauntering round the office with my midriff on show.

Oh dear, oh dear – that’s exactly what I cite today as inappropriate and say I’d never think of doing. Youth – eh!