Passover

No, I’m not Jewish. And, no this column is not about religion.

This “passover” is related to work.

Each time a new editor is hired I get the same barrage of questions. “You weren’t hired as the editor?” Then, “Why?”

Bill Petzold is the sixth editor I’ve worked for since I was hired at the Tuscola County Advertiser in January 1995.

And, believe me I have “no hard feelings” about not being selected or even asked about the editor’s job.

I, and the powers that be, know my limitations. I do not have the skills much less the desire to be an editor. I feel knowing one’s limitations and being happy with that is important, and I am.

Many people strive to achieve more and some, like I, are just plain not qualified  to do some things… being an editor is one of them.

I don’t begrudge any of my fellow workers who were able to move on to become editor.

Yes, the title of “editor” would be kind of cool, and the extra pay would be great, but with that job comes a lot of responsibility and stress that I don’t want. The job requires technical skills that I don’t have. And, looking towards retirement five years down the road, I don’t have the time or inclination to try to acquire them at this stage in my career.

After each of my fellow workers became an editor, I heard them lament several times how much they miss being able to write. Being an editor is about administration, oversight, and editing rather than writing.

Plain and simple, I am a writer. That’s all I’ve wanted to do and all I want to do until the day my cold, dead fingers are pried off the keyboard.

Being passed over, just like in the Bible, is a good thing.

Mary Drier is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at drier@tcadvertiser.com.