How do you measure success?

Twice recently I've been offered short stints of lucrative full time work. I turned them both down in favour of the less stressful classes I enjoy three days a week. Telling my husband of my decision provoked a very Jim response. "Well done, that's great. You must continue to resist the temptation to work more." He is not one to subscribe to the view that he who dies with the most toys wins. More likely, if prompted for a motto, it would be along the lines of 'no one ever lay on his death bed and wished he'd spent more time at work.'

So, how do YOU measure success? When you look back at the end of you life how will you know you succeeded? A big house? Money in the bank? A promoted post? A happy family? Oodles of grandkids? A good-looking corpse? It occurred to me that if you don't decide when you are young-ish what you'll count as a successful life you can easily get pulled in the wrong direction. Jim chose his path early and consequently is one of the most successful men I know. My own goals are more modest. See below for my favourite quote on the subject.


How can they say my life is not a success? Have I not for more than sixty years got enough to eat and escaped being eaten? -Logan Pearsall Smith, essayist (1865-1946)

Our Surveillance Society

One of my Korean students is a fan of the TV programme 'Big Brother' but he couldn't understand the show's name. Surely a 'big brother' is someone deserving of respect, someone who will care for you and look after you, not watch your every move with a view to public humiliation? I explained how in 1948 an author called Eric Blair aka George Orwell had written a novel about a possible future where the state watched you constantly and you couldn't turn off your TV set. Everyone was obliged to do the right thing because BB was watching YOU!

It may have taken a decade or so longer than Orwell anticipated but it certainly seems that the surveillance society has arrived. Watching 'The Bill' on Saturday evening it's obvious that crimes in UK (and doubtless worldwide) are solved in only one of three ways i) the offender gives himself up and confesses ii) someone else dobs him in or iii) he's caught red-handed on the security tapes. The first line of enquiry in UK police drama is now 'Check the CCTV'. It was different in the days of Dixon of Dock Green or Z-Cars.

The paranoia that causes all this spying on the population has, of course, reached Australia. Last Wednesday Jim and I took the 6.30 train to the city for an evening out. We reached our local station 7 minutes before the train was due so it was otherwise deserted. A blue handbag lay open on the bench. Jim strolled over to investigate. I'd like to think he was checking it for identification with a view to reporting it rather than rifling through the contents in search of extra cash to supplement the evening's entertainment. As he approached the bag a voice boomed out over the tannoy, "Attention! The gentleman looking at the handbag on Mosman Park Station! Move away from the bag! It has been reported and someone is returning to collect it. MOVE AWAY FROM THE BAG!" Considering that our station is totally unstaffed, it had to have been monitored via camera from the city centre. Sure enough, a harassed looking lady got off the train five minutes later and gave a sigh of relief as she picked up the bag.

So, as a law-abiding citizen do I feel more secure knowing that I am being observed wherever I go or do I just feel spied upon? Like it or lump it, Big Brother is now watching YOU!