I'm Kinda Busy, Part 2

Five years ago I created a farewell video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUHtj8AoZQE) when I was laid off. It was a montage of favorite hobbies to affectionately point out to colleagues that I wouldn't miss the corporate healthcare bubble, and to remind friends that play outranks work. Then after a few months of fun I wound up employed in yet another bureaucratic cluster. It didn't stick. After 3 years I walked away (more like ran) from that job to change direction toward issues that I cared about and people that mattered. All through this phase, actually since 2010, I've been blogging about aging quirky (my other blog, "My Career Colonoscopy,” was put on hold along with my career).

Well now it's 6 months into my new profession as an independent patient advocate and I like it. I've had 8 clients so far, and some of them even paid me. A few were pro bono on purpose, and the one that matters most was unintentional. Dad is still client number one, which he regularly reminds me.

In this new chapter, I don’t have to do much marketing and public exposure falls into my lap. The need is growing and the stories are intense. A local news crew came to my house to film me in action; it may or may not get on the air, I’m fine either way. The highlight of the experience was the camera guy complimenting me that I had clearly been trained on media interviews. Indeed I was – in 1997, courtesy of the insurance company I used to work for and am now poking a stick at to make sure they do their job. That’s perfect. As I wrote in my first blog post 6 years ago, I thank my parents for their genetic transmission of a fine sense of irony and appreciation of the absurd.

Shameless plug: look at www.kazadvocate.com and let me know any suggestions for improvement, because I realize that promotion has its place.