The LAST thing I wanted to do was get up in the morning, and spend the entire day writing and re-writing chapters on a topic which had stopped being interesting for me after the first year.....
Seeing as I was bored to tears with my subject, I had to look for another source of motivation. And what could be a better incentive than getting to call myself "Doctor" at the end of it?
My advice to young players is that if, like me, your PhD is not exactly rocking your proverbial world, DO NOT try and inspire yourself by the "I'll get to call myself Doctor" idea.
How do I know this? Because in the 7 months or so that I have been a doctor, I have used the title ONCE. And when I did, I almost got laughed out of town. So I've never done so again.....
Picture the scene. It's a week after I've been awarded my title, and I STILL haven't used it. So I'm on the lookout for ANY opportunity (and I mean ANY .....).
When I received a letter from the gas company asking me to ring them to confirm my account details (my bills always arrived addressed "To the owner"), I thought this was my big chance!
So I called them.
- Gas guy: So, you want to set up an account in your name?
- Me: Yes, please.
- Gas guy: OK, no problems. I just need to grab a few details. What's your first name?
- Me:...............
- Gas guy: And your last name?
- Me:...............
- Gas guy: And so that's "Miss", right?
- Me: No
- Gas guy (trying to be suave): You're not a "Mrs"? You sound too young.
- Me (getting a bit cranky, as he clearly thought I was about 18 years old): No
- Gas guy (pausing): "Ms"?
- Me (starting to enjoy the awkwardness): Nope
- Gas guy (clearly getting worried): Err, you're not a man....Are you? "Mr"?
- Me: No. I'm a "Dr"
- Gas guy (silence, then....): You're joking, right?
- Me: No. I'm not joking. I'm a Dr.
- Gas guy (obviously believing I was mad): Yeah, right. Whatever you say.
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