On a new job

My feet were reluctant to pound the pavements this morning, but the sun was blazing and I have a new pair of shoes to wear in before Marathon Day on Sunday. These were a gift from my adorable husband who took me to Runners Need in Holborn on Saturday. He may not be coming to Paris, but he'll be there for every footstrike. Never has a girl had the immense good luck to marry such a man. Truly, I think that his only fault is that he is too loving, too generous, too patient, and this makes me lazy! Wonderful men aside, I did a 40 minute loop over the Thames this morning, past the nicotine trails of recalcitrant commuters and through the drifting petals of Battersea Park's cherry-blossomed avenues. My ipod battery left me on my own, and I suddenly heard the true sounds of young Spring; the keening of a puppy on sensory overload and the overexcited barking of personal trainers, exhorting their clients to greater fat burn. And I smiled to myself while I ran through the bright morning, because I start rehearsals for a new job tomorrow. Isn't life extraordinary? Your life really can change in a moment, and don't you forget it! I auditioned for a children's play that tours primary schools on Friday, and I start rehearsing tomorrow. It is a hard job, poorly paid and entirely glory-free. But I know how rewarding it can be, because I've done it before. I played Beatrix Potter in a children's show that toured Johannesburg for my first job after drama school. It was the first money I earned as an actress, and that was surely sweet, but the faces of the rapt children was payment enough. So this job is several steps back, but right now its what I need. I've gone back to the beginning of myself in so many ways over the past couple years and I don't mind starting from the bottom again. I know how to work hard for what I want. But first I'm going to Paris for a week of running and writing and good coffee (a treat!) and to catch up with one of my loveliest friends, Dominika.