Forty-fifth posting - vocation

In the coming weeks, there is a possibility I will be laid off (“severed” in corporate lingo, like Marie Antoinette’s head, or a chicken bone). Fortunately I have made it to the level I intended to reach when I started. Unfortunately I have made a lot of friends along the way and will be sad to no longer work with them or see them as frequently (or make fun of other people with funny names who work at the company).

Recruiters are making the rounds with opportunities around the country. None have had really super-cool jobs I’d prefer to think about, so I’ve decided to create my own list. There may be some tweaking required, but I am open to suggestions.

1. Adventure travel company tour tester. I am always on the lookout for recommendations for interesting destinations – even if I don’t intend on traveling right away. Sure, there are hundreds of guidebooks out there, and many of them are written by people like me who think they have some discretionary income and a few weeks of vacation. I’d like to be one of those people paid by a travel magazine to take those trips and evaluate the food, the guides, the itinerary, and then give my own personal rating – one “N” for crappy, up to 5 “N”s for amazing.
2. Small business owner. There are some caveats here. I’d like to take over someone’s already modestly successful business and make it more successful. Not monstrously so, but just enough to justify some hard work and several years on my part. It could be a cheese and wine shop in a renovated barn in Vermont (my friend R’s idea), or a shipping/distribution company that brings organic produce to schools for lunch programs, or an apple orchard, or publishing company that looks for young authors using a business model that makes money with small production runs…
3. Writer. My sister planted this seed in my head. I might go nuts trying to be a real writer, but if there is a way to fake it and still earn a decent living (“decent” is the operative word here), that would be good, too.
4. Lobbyist. There is a lot of crap going on in Washington, and I feel guilty sometimes for not really doing anything about it. I live in a Blue state now, and the last 4 places I’ve lived have also been Blue (NY, DC, MD, MN). Prior to that my state was deep, dark crimson Red (OK), but my family was somewhat of an anomaly. The Endangered Species Act is itself endangered, and my own personal dependence on oil are two areas that I could find an easy passion for trying to be a “person of influence.”
5. Member of Lance Armstrong entourage. (Presumably there is one. If not, I’ll start one.) When he’s not hanging with Sheryl, I’d be happy to do a little riding with Lance. And when she’s not hanging with Lance, I’d be happy to listen to her play me a tune or two…
   

If I turns out I keep my job, then jobs 1-5 will continue to inhabit my daydreams, although I should probably get Lance's number, just in case…

NATHAN