Suited and booted for a change…..

There was a large stage of my career when I was approached regularly by ‘recruiters’ / ‘executive search partners’ / ‘headhunters’ for a range of exciting roles for which I was allegedly uniquely positioned. Latterly most approaches – when they come – tend to be for Chair or other non-Exec Board roles. Still flattering to be on some people’s radar yet an unwitting reminder of the unstoppable force of nature and ageing. Found myself getting irate (unlike me) by two related things this week. Read an article about a group of billionaires fixated on their longevity and intentions to live to 120 – whilst average life expectancy globally is something like 71 and for the poorest much lower. I just find myself thinking ‘with all that money – you could actually do something useful and yet your self-obsession leads you to believe that your mere existence makes the world a better place’. I then read the last writings of a friend of friend who – with incurable cancer – has chosen to end her life at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland. Having watched with awe how they have sought to live as full a life as possible throughout a deteriorating incurable health condition it makes me want to weep that the only viable choice open to her was a Clinic in Switzerland.

We can be better than this surely.

Her death came a week after my friend (who also has a cancer that is untreatable) being told that a provenly effective drug that could extend their life by 2 years has not been given NICE approval as its’ not value for money.

We must be able to be better than this…..

Anyway – I had an interview – so put a suit on. Well it was a two stage interview – so I actually put two suits on. Both still fit – which was a relief. And I still quite like he cut of my jib.

Musically – last Friday was the first showing on BBC 4 of the Microdisney documentary – worth checking out. One of my favourite bands of the 80’s. Mixed reception though as one of my regular gig going friends who watched it on my recommendation messaged me “well that’s 90 minutes of my life I’m never getting back”. He’s been blocked obviously.

Tomorrow sees the release of the new Adrienne Lenker album which I am confident is a less controversial recommendation. I find her utterly captivating and with her band Big Thief always just stop whatever I’m doing when they come on. She also released an extra collection of songs last week on Bandcamp with all proceeds going to a Palestinian children’s aid charity. It’s a pay what want arrangement – so go for it I say.