Busy, Busy ...

I use to say that I was unsuccessfully retired, but I have changed my tune. My retirement is now stimulating, largely because I am busy.

It's amazing how much one's services are in demand when you give them away for free. I now have three agencies for which I volunteer.

In SCORE I do free business counseling (we are the counseling arm of the SBA). I also write and revise short business reports (called "briefs"), and, next Tuesday will team teach a seminar on "Web Site Fundamentals."

For the Fine Arts Fund I am assisting a client ("Catacoustic Consort"), primarily applying for grants. This is a fascinating organization, specializing in putting together concerts of "early music." As I understand it, early means before about the year 1800.

The director is Annalisa Pappano and she plays several of the early instruments. As you might expect, money for such a specialized form of music is tight, and we hope the grants we receive will allow CC to be on sounder footing.

I am also a political volunteer for Victoria Wultsin, who is running for Congress. She is trying to trying to oust 2nd district Representative Jean Schmidt (R-OH). I have done office work, assembled signs, driven the candidate around, did some phone-banking, and last week helped clean up the office.

Wultsin is a terrific candidate who lost to Schmidt in 2006 by a whisker. This time she is out there earlier, better organized and funded, and doing a lot more "retail" politics.

"Vic," as she is called, is at every fair and festival in Greater Cincinnati. We are asked to go also and "show the colors." Last week the major event was "Taste of Cincinnati" where you can get a sample dish from many of the area's finest restaurants, and some not so fine.

So I am busy (maybe too busy) and feeling productive. I guess that can be called a successful retirement.

jbv's Competitive Edge