The Flatlander's View

New careers in our 70s … who’d a thunk it?

By Steve Moseley
Posted 5/9/23

April 2023, it turns out, is the beginning of a whole new career for Good Wife Norma … and my own prospects for something different ain’t bad either.

I find the prospect of two new …

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The Flatlander's View

New careers in our 70s … who’d a thunk it?

Posted

April 2023, it turns out, is the beginning of a whole new career for Good Wife Norma … and my own prospects for something different ain’t bad either.

I find the prospect of two new jobs, both unlike anything either of us has previously done for a paycheck, of interest because we have both arrived at our 70s. I cannot divulge her age at risk of disembowelment, but I will be 74 in July. Suffice to say she is close — very close — behind.

GWN finally retired a year or so back after 53 years as a nurse, some of the best of those years were in Powell where she worked with orthopedic surgeon and still friend Dr. Frank Haydon.

Always a seamstress since her 4-H days and in later years an avid quilter, she dove deep into that world in the year or so since her nursing days were done. She joined the local quilt guild. Trundled off to a week-long powwow for immersion in all things quilting. Already booked for another week come fall. Teaching a one-day class showing local 4-Hers how to quilt table runners this summer. You get the idea.

GWN hung around our local downtown quilt emporium so much in recent months they figured she might as well be on the payroll, which will happen soon. She clocks in for the first time in just a few days.

Then there’s me.

I kinda/sorta retired four or five years ago after 14 years as managing editor of the York News-Times here in Nebraska. They prevailed upon me to linger as what our industry semi-disparagingly calls a ‘stringer’ (think off-the-payroll hired gun to whom you don’t have to pay benefits) which I did until a couple weeks ago when I hung up my press pass for good.

Soon after what turned out to be brief faux euphoria faded. In its place? Sudden onset boredom.

Then I blundered into a tip that the Nebraska Tourism Commission was advertising for a travel guide/counselor at the westbound I-80 rest area just 2 or 3 miles east of my recliner.

“Hmm,” I pondered, “this may have possibilities.”

You see, among several personality flaws is the thrill I get helping traveling folks enjoy a better time for having met me and tapped my font of familiarity.

This affliction manifested itself constantly in the dozens upon dozens of visits we made to the Yellowstone ecosystem while GWN was nursing with Frank and I was sports editor of this newspaper.

I am aware some residents in the area have nothing good to say about the visitors who come from all ends of the earth to appreciate the true wonder of Northwest Wyoming; the same wonder these grumbling locals are blessed to have smack dab in their own shared backyard. Some turn up their nose at mention of the despised “tourons.” This despite the enormous mountain of money they pour into the economy.

I was not among the detractors. Quite the contrary, I ran around telling anyone who expressed interest about more and better places to go and what to look for.

Warm fuzzies still well up when I recall the time I shared my tripod-mounted spotting scope with an Asian family of mom, dad and two elementary kids in Hayden Valley. A grizzly sow a ways upriver and on the other side was trying to tend twin cubs while a pair of coyotes slinked about to poach a meal from the winter kill carcass she defended.

The potential life-and-death drama was easy to watch … for those with the benefit of optics. This family had no chance to see the details with their normal vision. So, I lowered the tripod and motioned for the kids to come watch. Their delight and amazement bubbled over onto me. It was wonderful. Then dad and mom used gestures to overcome the language barrier and politely ask if they, too, might see what the fuss was all about. I welcomed them to look for as long as they wished as well.

Who knows, perhaps that small kindness was the highlight of their trip to America. I’d like to think so.

I have done this exact kind of thing too many times to recall. GWN sighed and said, “You can’t help yourself, can you?” So why wouldn’t I do the same thing in a visitor center designed for the purpose and get paid for it?

My interview in Lincoln was yesterday as this is written. It seemed to go well, so prospects look good for both of us to shove off on new, unexpected mini careers at the exact time we always figured would be the end.

No telling how it will turn out, but we’re already energized despite having yet to work a single day.

Just goes to show … you never know.

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