Early Role-Playing
By Nancy J Cohen

Our young lives at play often prepare us for later roles in life. Or at least this is true for girls who like to play house. It’s not so true for boys who pretend to be super heroes. One thing I liked to play was “Secretary.” My mother had adorned my bedroom with a frilly dressing table that I never used.

Instead, I loved to sneak into my brother’s room and play at his desk. When he left for college, things got better. I could explore his pens, pencils, erasers, crayons, and other goods to my heart’s content. Sometimes I think I might have gone to secretarial school instead of nursing if learning shorthand hadn’t been part of the curriculum.  As a writer, I am still enthralled with my desk accessories. I love my paper clips, sticky notes, pens, note pads, and desk doodads as much as I did back in the day. So in a sense, my early role playing came true. But this is better than being a secretary, which isn’t even a proper term anymore. Today you’re an administrative assistant.

I work at home, where my desk is my own. Nobody can fire me. I don’t do dictation except on my voice recognition program. And I’m surrounded by books and other tools of the trade. It’s gratifying that I found my way here all on my own without formal training.

How has your early play influenced your current lifestyle?