Dear Stephen,

I've written to Mum, as you suggested - after all, I've had enough time this week. I never would have imagined that a conference about dealing with "Bullying in the Workplace" could be so totally lacking in content about how to deal with bullying in the workplace.

I think I may just give up my job altogether when I get back. You know how you're always saying I'm not entirely suited to a career in the health service? I'm beginning to think you may be right, so I might try and get a job in one of the caring professions instead. As you know, I've always had this strong belief, call it an intuition, ever since I was very young, that healing people was to be part of my purpose in life….after I'd decided that I didn't really want to become a princess, a show jumper, or a pop singer. Which you probably didn't know, because I don't think I've ever told you about that before. And you also won't know, because I never told you this either, that I did of course harbour a longer-held desire to be an actress. I'm sure that won't surprise you, though, you're always telling me that I'm over-dramatic about everything, and that I don't live in the real world…so I have the key qualities really, don't I? But then, of course I was told by Mrs Stanton that 'nice girls don't become actresses.' And I so wanted to be a nice girl, didn't I?

A nice girl who brought some good to the world. Which is why I thought that working in the health service was a good idea, although I did enrol in a night school drama course for a brief while, guiltily attending whilst constantly keeping a lookout for anyone who might report my misdemeanour back to Mrs Stanton, even though I was no longer at school. Well anyone can make a mistake can't they…perhaps I need to search elsewhere for an outlet which will allow me to try and heal the world and the people who make it such a sad place on account of their own despair. Anyway, I'm doing that digression thing again that my Mother's always telling me - and you - about. So, like I say, I 've done what you asked and written to her, and, since I'm away for the rest of the week, I want to ask you to do something for me in return. I do appreciate how you took my side during that argument with Mum, especially since you don't really believe in any of my "stuff" as you call it.