What am I doing here? A meme

I love the blogosphere, an anarchic wherein we have no real idea who is watching, or why. Then out of the mix come the most frightening changes, like the tag from No Blood for Hubris. It’s scary enough to be challenged by a Humorless lipstick feminist. Clintonista, doubly so when the challenge is to list – chronologically, my work history.

Having been involved in politics, one way and another, most f my life I just know there are things you never make public. On the other hand, I’ll never achieve a White House job so what the hell! So here we have, following the lead of my sponsor, two annotated lists – paid and unpaid endeavours.

Paid (often a laughable assertion…)

Newspaper boy (I was a boy)

Golf caddy and tennis ball boy (still a boy and never did develop anything more than a pecuniary interest in the sports)

Floor sweeper/packer in softgoods warehouse (they didn’t have software back then, this stuff was like furnishings and manchester)

Cashier, lay-by clerk, curtain hanger, blind fitter (the retail side of the former job)

Into the motor trade (the great leap into bloke stuff!):

- Counter clerk and storeman handling auto tools

- Dispatch manager – auto parts

Office cleaner (in and around other things)

Cutting loose (following the lure of the swinging 60s. All self employment efforts of varying success, often overlapping)

Established temp agency for band personnel (great idea if you can handle 1000 or so drummers on the books)

Rock band management and promotion

Concert light show operator

Venue promotion and management (proudest achievement was not rebooking The Brothers Gibb – later to become The Bee Gees)

Occasional rock media writer

Heading South (Relocated to Tasmania, to help maintain a static population of fewer than half a million people)

The motor trade (delivering spare parts)

Office cleaning (learning the joys of Tasmania’s heritage buildings)

Timber (lumber) sales

State marketing and sales rep – lumber and plywood (including saving Tasmanian forests by importing North American lumber)

Manager of project to rescue precious Tassie woods (from being bulldozed and burned)

Local reporter for regional newspaper (first foray into paid journalism)

State manager, industrial equipment sales

Sales and marketing – specialized construction and furniture products

Sales and marketing – Industrial safety equipment

Freelance writer (producing feature articles for a national market)

Established media consultancy – KISSMEDIA (as in keep it simple…)

Projects varied and included copy provision, contract reporting, advertorial (including real estate and aged care), small scale publishing, contract typesetting, editing and proofing, providing summaries of new legislation from various states and anything else available.

Manager of café in Sydney’s bohemian district (survived famed dykes on bikes)

Barrista, dishwasher (best place to manage an eatery), cleaner (someone had to do it)

Still freelance, mainly issues research, not for profit project development and media design.

Extra- curricular - More problematic, less linear than the paid mess of pottage so I’ll try with categories:

Politics:

Formerly began political activity at age 15 as a campaign foot-soldier.

Active in the Australian Liberal Party, holding various branch and state positions, until their serious drift to the right

Was founding member and office holder of Tasmanian branch of Australian Democrats and federal candidate.

Campaign manage five times, including one in Canada (Canadian Liberal Party)

Involved in policy research and development, prep of wide range of print media, including newsletters and media statements

Tend now to support individual candidates rather than party structures, and focus on issues identification and relevant policy statements.

Community

All things pass, including involvement in community/social groups and the specific beliefs/interest that spurs the involvement. Perhaps the only consistent activities have revolved around writing and politics. Specifics:

Marrickville Boys Club – team leader, gym instructor, management committee member.

Rotaract, branch and district newsletter publisher.

Jobless Youth project – management committee

Anglican Church – various roles from verger to lay preacher with responsibility for a parish for a time

Circular Head Arts Festival – committee member

Australian-Italian social club director, barman, barrista

Inaugural committee of Launceston Festivale

Director – Newtown (Sydney) Traders Union (on Australia’s last great ‘High Street’ this was an alternative to the Chamber of Commerce

Port Macquarie Band - fund raiser

Port Macquarie Neighbourhood Centre – media prep

Ok, there are bits missing all over the place; life gets too complex for lists. But there is my attempt. For more entertaining versions try:

And Now for Something Completely Different: Department of Been There Done That

the rev. paperboy Been there, done that

Meanwhile, from curiosity spurred by a permaculture connection, I’m tagging Austin Permie