Why I love my job...

I’m sure there are many reasons why people feel really good about a job they love. For me one of the biggest draws in radio has been the distinct advantage it gives you – the almost unbelievable access - to ask people questions and learn about their lives.

It’s not the nosiness factor that interests me; it's whatever makes many people feel passionate – in joy or sorrow. The striving for something more that really lights them up.

Years ago I interviewed a spelunker who spoke about the excitement he felt in an uncharted cave - not knowing what would happen around the next corner. It sounds trite when you write about it, but when you hear the expression in his voice, you just know why he’s taken huge chances. Radio is such an intimate medium.

Since I started hosting and producing Prime Time Focus a few months ago, I’ve had the renewed privilege of getting to interview people. I’ve talked with pianist Emil Pandolphi, whose love of a lyrical tune and how he can re-score it brings deep joy to his life. He delights in being on stage to share it with others. Interviewing him made me want to play the piano again, to listen to music with a finer-tuned ear, to think more about what composers and arrangers ponder. It’s a gift Emil left with me long after I finished the piece. Listen!

On the flip side, some interviews are so gut wrenching you can’t hear more. Years ago I edited a documentary on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I can still hear a Vietnam vet describing someone being tortured – it’s a memory I wish I could get rid of. I cannot.

Similarly the pain that Mr. Brewer feels in the piece I did for Prime Time Focus on the serious problems people have experienced with some pre-need funeral policies was very hard to hear. He trusted those people and with an income of just $600 a month, had few options when his wife suddenly died. Such stories make you want to be the very best reporter you can be and to tell a story with compassion. How could you violate such trust? (coming in December - we'll post a link here to the story)

I think people who work in radio will tell you that if you play a piece of audio they gathered a long time ago they’ll still remember who spoke the words, and the larger story they told. Alone with headphones on, the ears tune in to something beyond the words.

I feel so very fortunate to have found something I love to do so much. I hope you enjoy my work and it’s a pleasure to share my thoughts about it.

Do you love your work? Please let me know right here by leaving a comment. Click the word "comments" just below...

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Alyne Ellis

Deferring Retirement - DC Panel Addresses Workforce Transformation

Yesterday on Capitol Hill, Senator Herb Kohl welcomed a group of experts to discuss the rapidly changing nature of midlife careers, and to explain legislation he has introduced to support the ongoing changes. The panel was hosted by AARP's Director of Workforce Issues, Deborah Russell. Here are some highlights:

Marc Freedman talked about his new book, "Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life." He predicted historic changes in the American workplace, where the time between the end of what he called "midlife careers," and the beginning of what used to be called "old age" is stretching into decades. What pathways will be created to find and train workers in that stage of life and help them find work that is meaningful to them?

Freedman talks about the book, and the issues, with Prime Time Radio host Mike Cuthbert in this extended conversation from the August 14th edition of Prime Time Radio. Listen with Real Audio.

Phyllis Segal, who's on the faculty of Harvard Law School, is a Senior Vice President of Civic Ventures, which spotlights innovative recruitment and hiring strategies targeting workers over 50. As she said, "old notions of retirement are in the rear view mirror." Because they have to, or want to, or because industry needs them, people will continue to work as they get older. She said older workers are looking for "both meaning and compensation." And this often leads them to non-profit organizations, or public agencies.

Jeri Sedlar is a senior advisor to The Conference Board. She's also the author of "Don't Retire - REWIRE!" She believes that workers over 50 want to move "from success to significance." And from "profits to passions." These desires, she says, are moving older workers into the nonprofit sector.

There was general agreement among the panelists that "debris" left over from outmoded ideas about retirement is one of the main obstacles to creating fresh opportunities. These stumbling blocks include mandatory retirement ages and the abrupt ending of work-related benefits at the time when workers "retire." Kohl's legislation would give employers a tax credit for establishing flexible work schedules that enable older employees to stay on the job without losing healthcare or pension benefits.

More on this subject in the New York Times of Sunday, July 22.