(P.M.A.) Positive mental attitude

Dear Diary,

I've been trying to think positively recently (and failing abysmally at doing so at work today) - anyway. Without work getting to me, putting all that aside, just for a moment, it's nice to imagine the little hurdles as the pieces fall into place. Little bits and bobs, things one has been working on now for a very long time (essays, translations etc.) being drawn together, one piece at a time, towards the goal. There are many hurdles, and this is a Marathon not a sprint, but challenges can be met, overcome, bumps in the road.

Today I f-ed up, big-time (not just at work). I was offered a short term contract to translate this piece of Latin. Here, I'll show it to you:

As you can see, not easy, especially not for someone straight out of college or whatever (id est just after being conferred with the honours of their first degree). It took me a while to read Latin palaeography. I had to start learning scribal abbreviation when I did my translation of Marsilio Ficino's De Potestate et Sapientia Dei written somewhere around 1461 to 1463 of the Christian Era, in Florence, Italia. (Before I earned my Magister Artium). I also encountered it while translating a grimoire from the 14th century, probably written in Paris. (We are talking Harry Potter, Star Wars, real magic swords, whatever you want. I am actually living in James Oliver Rigney's Wheel of Time now, not just watching the show or reading the book).

Anyhow, besides this ancient mystical tome, I have not had that much exposure to having to read palaeography (because all of my Oxford Reds, Blues and Cambridge Greek and Latin texts are in a clear, legible form). So, I have to look things up sometimes. It's like anything, like learning ancient Greek, which I'm doing and that's good.

So anyways, you gotta think positively, I figure. Try and look at the road ahead, not the puddles below on the pavement, or you won't see the rainbows when they appear.

Anyhow, the image above. Look at that s-. Are you serious?

Yes. Absolutely. I can read that s-, and I told the company which very kindly approached me so. (Not in those words). I received an email, and the company asked, "Is this text even legible." I replied with one word. Yes.

Then came too-ing and fro-ing, amicably, them pushing me on my rate. Instead of just taking the money (whatever they said, waiting, or pitching low), I pitched high. That's always a gamble. But you've got to be realistic. I would need a month to really transcribe, then translate, and translate again, and again, until it's right. It has to be done right. It's like that old gnarly curator in Toy Story 2: "You can't... rush... art."

These guys, these people, they wanted it boom, right then and there. On the spot. I was given one week.

A week? Did you just say that? One week?

They didn't want to pay top dollar. I was like Robert Shaw's character in the original 1975 Jaws movie (in my mind at least):

"You all know me, what I do [Latin translator]... I'll catch this fish for you but it 'ain't gonna be easy. We've got to do it quick... You want to play it cheap? Or ante-up? Be on welfare the whole winter..."

Needless to say in the board room at the meeting of the executives, they didn't find my Robert Shaw impression funny at all. (I was the only one dressed as a shark-fisherman: the execs all wore suits). I thought it was quite an accurate portrayal.