Today I attended my first ever coffee morning, a virtual one organised by the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI). I was asked by Ann Brooks, the ITI’s Professional Development Officer, if, as a new ITI Board member, I’d join the panel for the event.
I accepted the invitation, not realising that this would pose two major challenges…
First, Ann asked me to send her a photo of my office. Cue frantic dumping of piles of papers from my desk into a cardboard box (to join the many other boxes in the “keep, throw, think about” decluttering pile).
Second, Ann told me that the coffee morning included a quiz based on the ITI Bulletin. I assumed this would refer to the latest issue of the Bulletin but when I watched last week’s coffee morning to get an idea of the format, I saw that the questions were drawn from issues dating back two, three or more years. Cue frantic skim-reading of past issues of the Bulletin, realising as I went what a fascinating range of interests ITI members have, and how broad and varied our profession is. To be honest, I already knew that (ITI’s Scottish network, Scotnet, also produces a great newsletter with fantastic articles, which always astonish me with their range and scope). But it’s good to be reminded from time to time. Cue new resolution: in future, read the Bulletin as soon as it arrives, and take time to savour the contents.
Anyway, the result is that I now have a reasonably clean and tidy desk (let’s hope it stays that way), on which sits a pile of ITI Bulletins with interesting-looking articles bookmarked to read in more relaxed circumstances with a nice cup of… tea.