My brother is a teacher. Although we haven't spoken in many years, the last time I heard about him, he was doing very well in his job, teaching at a school in Basingstoke. Just because we do not speak, it does not mean, I am not proud of him for all he has achieved. He is doing a job he loves, teaching children and has worked hard at his chosen vocation.
As a homosexual man, growing up in the 1970s and 80s, I never had a chance to have children and to be perfectly honest, at the time I was too selfish to even consider having kids. My lifestyle, would never have allowed me to! Back then, there were also no laws to allow people like myself to adopt. Equally the fact I was moving between The UK and Australia for periods of time, created a stumbling block to ever thinking about children. If I am totally honest, It never once crossed my mind. Just because I do not have a family of my own, it does not make me any less of a person, in fact I love kids and believe everyone of them, should have the same chances in life, whether they come from a poor or wealthy background. Children are our future, all have the ability to succeed and attain many of the things, my generation found hard!
In 2009, I became a mentor and advocate for 'Action for Children'. At the time, I had started to work for a charity, so when this mentor position came up, I jumped at the chance. The training programme was intense and at times harrowing. I learned much from my time, working for 'Action for Children'. Much of it still haunts me today, but I am extremely grateful for the time I spent with them.
When we made a decision, to move to Spain, one of the most difficult aspects of living here, was the employment situation. It is extremely difficult to obtain a decent job, unless you are Spanish. Even those who are British, but speak perfect Spanish, find it hard. At times there is a culture of 'jobs for the boys', Spanish jobs for Spanish people if you like. I was very well aware of that situation when I arrived here and settled into working for an English family, in their restaurant.
This is not something I want to do forever. Even at the age of 45, I still have ambition and want to achieve many of the things, I wished I had done, many years ago. My aspirations really centre around writing, as I am sure many readers to my blog are aware. I want to become a full time writer and am grateful to The Gran Alacant Advertiser, for allowing me a monthly column in their publication. For me, this is achieving the first part of a dream, that I have always kept alive, through blogging, writing and reading. Being able to express oneself in words, is something I have to do. Writing is deep within my soul and will always remain so.
I also have another ambition, something not many people know about. I want to teach children. I want to teach Spanish kids, English. Of course wanting something and how it will actually work in practice, can be very different things. I can teach children privately now, if I so desire, but that isn't really achieving what I have set out to do. I want to take a TEFL course. This course will eventually allow me to teach in Spain. I would be required to spend around a month, on a residential course in Barcelona, something I do not mind doing. The course is not cheap, and I have to fund it myself. I intend to take the course, while Darrell is living and working in Australia. Money we have both saved can be used to fund the it and finally I will have the qualification I need. You can teach children in Spain, without the need to speak Spanish, it is just important to obtain this qualification first. It is on my priority list if you like.
When one upsticks and changes one's life, in its entirety, for ever, it is important, not to make the same mistakes of the past. I was adamant that I would use this opportunity, moving to Spain as a positive step to better and greater things. For too long my life had drifted, in a dead end job, working for very selfish, bullying people, who only had their own self interest at heart. The chance to move from one country to another, does not come along too often, so when it does, it should be grasped and used to do great things in one's life. A further ten years of inertia and apathy, is not acceptable in my book. The time that I have left, must be used in a fulfilling way, for myself and Darrell, no one else. When I worked for Oxfam, running a bookshop, I thought it was the most fulfilling experience of my life, until the revelations, that brought us to Spain came out. After an eight year period, working for these people, I was left empty, abused but most importantly, full of intention, desire and an eagerness to move forward, with motivation, something I hadn't had for many years.
I have discovered, that I am the only one who can change my life for the better. I am the sum of my own experiences, and they have taught me much about where to go from here. I have learned a great many lessons in life and I know now how to put the indiscretions and mistakes of the past right. Achieving all I can, now, becoming a teacher, professional writer and success, in my own right is important. I will attain, what I have too, because there is no alternative. Working together with Darrell, we should in a short number of years, be able to relax and finally enjoy the fruits of our hard labour!
