Antii

Antii is a footballer. I do not know him personally, but I have followed the progression of his career over the last 4 or 5 years or so. This started when he got a job with the (then) Premiership football club that I support / sympathise with.

Now, Antii is a goalkeeper. Within months of him starting his job at my club, it became clear that he was a very good goalkeeper. A very, very good goalkeeper. So good, in fact, that for the period of time that he was playing in the Premiership, he was widely considered to be one of, if not the best goalkeepers in the country. He was at the very top of his profession.

And then his/my club got relegated. By dint of the fact that he had some rather sub-standard colleagues, and through no fault of his own, he had suddenly been demoted to work at a level that was way beneath him. From competing against the very very best footballers in the business, he was reduced to dealing with a bunch of also-rans, a load of eager, but green kids, and some tired old pros whose best days had been and gone.

What to do? Well, it seemed obvious. Still relatively young for his particular role, a move back to the elite would guarantee him several more years in the big time at the prime of his career. Surely, he'd just apply for a job at one of the big companies - Manchester United, Celtic, Arsenal were talked of. If he didn't, it would only be a matter of time before they came to him. And so they did. And what did Antii do? He said no.

He said no to a bigger challenge, no to more pressure, no to worldwide exposure, no to greater responsibility and no to kudos, respect amongst his peers and the general public. And in doing so, he said yes to an easier life, yes to being a big fish in a small pond, yes to job security and yes to allegiance to a small community, to feeling comfortable in his surroundings, to the status quo.

If Antii were a Doctor, he'd be becoming a GP.
If he were a journalist, he'd be joining a local rag as features editor.

What is enviable about his position is that before he's made this choice, he's had a taste of the big time. Before becoming a country GP, he's been the hot shot cardiothoracic surgeon. Before writing features on ducks in Cumbria, he's been the Arts Editor on The Guardian.

Going 'backwards' in a career is for most of us unthinkable, and for whatever reasons, impossible. We just don't have the luxury of getting to the top, and then taking it easy and kicking on back. It's all or nothing. Like my friend, Jim, it's Alan McGee or it's easy street. Antii is a lucky boy. He's had it all, he's made his name, and now he's fucked off to Devon to be a 4 day a week GP. And he's still bloody good at what he does.