So much for my brilliant career...

[frogs]

One of my contemporaries at university is now Leader of the Opposition. Humph.

And that's just the icing on the cake: other contemporaries include BBC foreign correspondent, high-profile barrister, Labour MP and ex-junior minister, award-winning theatre director and deputy editor of a national newspaper. And that's just off the top of my head -- I'm sure the list could be extended.

Anyone else feeling outclassed?

i must have been in a terribly underachieving clique at Oxford as most of my close friends from there are pleasingly underachieving, at least in financial and glamour measurements.

one is museum manager, one runs her own (but low key) environmental business), one is nutritionist in African refugee camps, one was high flying PWC accountant success but now is doing telesales (WHY? is accountancy that awful?). one is a vicar. etc.

was howerver irritated recently to meet someone only 2 years older than me (she's 39) who's a professor and has a child. guess she must be very driven.

Oh dear, sorry, frogs, I'm hobbyhorsing: but re being outclassed or not, my very dear and non-vainglorious father once told me about meeting Lord Wilberforce - Dad said, "What a nice man. He made you feel like you were telling him something."

That's class; and all famousness is incidental.

Lord Wilburforce sounds lovely, binkie. My upbringing was neither Scottish nor sober but I strongly agree with you that fame, fortune and achievement are not and should not be the measures of personal worth.

Dino, I'm sorry to do have to do this but here is a big for your dad.

MotherInfurs - get writing. Come on, you encouraged me enough, now I am going to naaaaaaaaag you

binkie, you are very sweet! We are all lovely and wonderful people, of course we are.

As I said below, I'm not really jealous, just impressed or incredulous, depending on whether the person's success bears any perceptible relation to their talent.

I just sometimes wonder if I should try a bit harder. And MI, you should write a novel, you know you should. We will be demanding regular progress reports as you progress towards kitten-heeled nirvana. Myself, I've never quite 'got' kittenheels, which probably explains a lot.

I have never heard of any of my University contemporaries doing anything worthwhile, but then I never read the begging letter (sorry, Alumni Brochure) they send me very year.

I have however, biblical knowledge of a famous film actor who went to a comprehensive school near my parents' house. He wasn't famous then, of course, which is why I'm posting this here and not on the 'famous people I have met' thread

I think people's success (from the ones I know) bears a strong relationship to how much they want to succeed. more than their actual talents.
the people I know who have achieved most have been most driven, worked very hard. and, if they are mothers, have used a lot of help - childcarer, cleaner, housekeeper, au pair etc.

they also, I suspect, don't waste half their days on things like Mumsnet.

sobernoel - biblical knowledge - does that mean carnal knowledge

MI, I keep banging on about wanting to be a writer (not about actually writing, you notice). My dh has just emailed me info about a writing course being held at a university 2 hours' drive from here, every 3rd Wednesday at 7pm. When I said I didn't think I'd be applying for a place on it, he gave me a really disappointed sigh and said I clearly don't have the burning passion he had hoped for.

Yup, it sure does!

Who who who???? Tell tell tell!!!!

dish dish dish

spill spill spill

I know I should do some work but...

I just googled the names of two friends of mine from Oxford who haven't become famous - check these out:

performs nude

conger ell

lol- are they your actual uni friends?

They were indeed.

Excellent!

Excellent, dino! I particularly like the bit that says, "Build: very large".

My old school newsletter is full of people who are corporate lawyers or whatever which occasionally makes me feel like an under-achiever. But am quite happy doing three days a week freelance thanks very much.

Moaned once about old schoolfriends being jolly successful to someone who pointed out that actually, I was too (at the time). Realised that you never feel as important as other people think you are (at least in my case).

I think I should post those links on all threads about private schools from now on, as those two had very classy educations - one was at St Pauls and the other at Fettes College.

Actually, another college acquaintance (who also had quite a classy education iirc) is now a leading light in the Revolutionary Communist Party.

ggg, does that say LJ? If so then it's not who I thought you meant (am good friends with his sister, 'tis why I asked )

Yes, I know who you mean and this one is v different - very very clever but one of lifes schemers. I keep meaning to google him and see if he is married yet

OMG Dinosaur I know 'performs nude'

I met him recently and last Sunday spent the afternoon with his wife and kids!! How funny.

To add to this convo, my contempory is her

Ha, she was a real spoilt cow at school and I didn't like her at ALL, and her dad was into porn