Ken Campbell is an American and an Anglophile with a Scottish heritage who moved to the UK when he was 13, growing up and studying in the south east of England.
Now based in Stansted, Essex with his wife, two children and pet dogs he spends his working hours developing medicines for a pharmaceutical company.
Two of his great passions are cycling and playing the guitar in a variety bands (and outfits!).
One thing that's always worth getting out of bed for
Cycling. One of the things I enjoy most in life is getting out into some quiet country lanes on my bike. I rediscovered this pleasure a few years ago. I say "rediscovered" as I had forgotten that in my youth I used to really enjoy the simple pleasure of riding a bike. Then, having not done any cycling at all for around 20 years and inspired by a friend's cycling tales, I started going out regularly with some buddies who were keen cyclists. As well as the typical local 'blasts' around home, we've had some truly amazing adventures cycling through France, Belgium and various bits of the South and East of the UK. Great exercise, great comraderie and a great way to see the world. I'm really glad that I made that rediscovery of something that I had enjoyed in my younger years.
One thing about yourself that often obstructs me
Oh, there's lots! However, they tend to produce the same result - INACTION. Unfortunately it has taken quite a while to see it with clarity. When I hit 40, it triggered a few years of real reflection. To use a sporting analogy I felt like I was in the dressing room at 'half time' and I was reflecting on the first half 'performance' and thinking about what I need to do to get back out onto the field and play a good second half! I realised in those reflections that there were a number of tendancies in me (procrastination, laziness, disorganisation, fear of doing something in case it is 'wrong', fear of failure, fear of what other people will think, etc.) that had prevented me doing things I should have done or stopped me making more of the opportunities that have been afforded me. The challenge now: play the best second half I can in view of this knowledge!
One thing I've learned the hard way
Generally, heated argument isn't helpful! I have found the hard way that I am not very good at it and in the end what you gain in 'winning' the argument is usually more than offset by what you lose in the process.
One thing that gets under my skin
A lack of integrity in individuals or organisations. It wrecks trust and creates an 'image' that is not real.
One thing I'd love to change
Well, it would be easy to say some very obvious and noble things about things like global conflicts, injustice and poverty and I would love to see those things change for the better. However, everything ultimately comes down to the individual; so what I would love to change is to see every individual treating each other in the way they would wish to be treated. If that was everyone's default option, wouldn't that potentially go a long way to resolving some of those bigger issues?
One thing I hope for
One of my favourite quotes from the Lord of the Rings is this one:
Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.
That's one thing I hope for: whatever happens in the rest of my life, that I make good decisions about how to use the time that I've been given to me.
Six Things is a series of micro-interviews with interesting and creative people
in which they’re asked to respond to a standard set of six prompts.
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