A couple of weeks back I was in a lift with a co-worker. Let's call them X. X's job is in sales and was complaining how hard her job is. X was rushing off to a meeting and had been out three times that week entertaining clients until 1am. So the complaint can be summarised thusly: X finds it difficult to spend night after night indulging the company expense account at fancy restaurants and bars in the company of men who no doubt flirt outrageously with her. Please control your sympathy.

I bit my tongue. Working in a coal mine is physical hard work. Working as a social worker is emotional hard work. Working as a surgeon is dexterous hard work. Working in an air-conditioned city office and going out for a living is not hard work. X really needs to get some perspective and perhaps a clue.