Retirement has brought new jobs

I have a confession to make.

I’ve gotten a job. In fact, I may have two. Or maybe three, depending upon how you look at it.

Turns out, I’m not very good at this thing called retirement.

My official departure from the newspaper was the end of June/first of July.

My first job opportunity popped up about three weeks later.

Goofing off, sitting in a comfortable Adirondack at my wife’s family cabin, I was browsing through news websites. (The cabin only had water intermittently this summer, but the Wi-Fi connection was excellent.)

That’s when I clicked on a news website from Myanmar, also known as Burma.

I did some journalism training there for a month in 2012 on behalf of the State Department, and I fell in love with that complicated, contradictory, often troubled country. So I check on the news now and then.

That’s when I saw the ad: They were looking for a part-time copy editor for their English language site who could boost their presence on social media.

So, before I knew it, I was dropping them a line. I applied for half the job.

Social media is not my thing. Some of my friends are still baffled by my aversion to Facebook, and when it comes to Instagram, Twitter, and all the rest, I am completely and utterly clueless.

I think I can do half the job, I told them. I could edit articles, improve the English, tighten the communication, and essentially polish things.

For a resume, I just said, “Google me.”

They did, and about a week or two later we had a conversation via Zoom.

The decision: Let’s try it.

The verdict is still out on whether it’s working.

A 10.5-hour time difference is the biggest challenge. And then there’s the whole notion of reporters gathering stories, writing them in Burmese, having them translated into English, then having them copyedited by a guy in Indiana before they’re fact-checked and reviewed one more time by other editors prior to being posted on the internet.

If that sounds a little clumsy, that’s because it is.

But so far, it’s working. I haven’t been fired yet, and they’re actually paying me.

Meanwhile, emboldened by this bit of international craziness on my part, I contacted friends in Moldova from my time there more than 20 years ago as a Fulbright Scholar.

That’s when the second gig popped up.

It’s still taking shape, but it appears I’ll be doing some consulting for an independent investigatory newspaper there for its English language web edition. We’re still reviewing things, and we need to have a Zoom conversation to see how — or if — I can be of help.

Unlike the Burmese job, this job — I suspect — will be without pay.

Then there’s that third job: The one you are reading now.

That one seems likely to continue. This column has appeared in The CR every week for more than 20 years and in The News and Sun for about 30.

I’m not interested in quitting just yet.

Meanwhile, there are a bunch of other, somewhat odd opportunities.

A head-hunting company learned of my “retirement” and started pitching proposals my way.

Those have been all over the block: A loader for Rural King, a low-voltage technician (whatever that is), a travel nurse, a dentist (!), several adjunct faculty positions at Ivy Tech and my favorite, an escape room game master.

No thanks, I’ll stick to what I know.