I am acquiring a new persona, that of being a Geek, although I am hardly a black belt in the craft. Slowly, ever so slowly I am learning more about the internet by way of seeking to become an influencer by virtue of launching a YouTube channel.

My progress to-date includes establishing a Google account and a YouTube account. Next up is the actual attainment of a YouTube channel.

My niche in the YouTube universe is to advise administrators of small non-profits about the lessons I learned during my own years of impoverished commitment to charitable causes. Since I was aided and abetted in my career by others suffering the same fate, I see YouTube as my chance to do the same for those still locked in the employment bondage of blighted aspirations. I hope to offer them sound advice absent the constraints of time and space.

During my final years in active management I was a blogger. It proved to be very helpful in promoting the organization that employed me at that time, an operating railroad museum. When I was encouraged to seek early retirement, I continued blogging under the moniker of Management in Exile. And that is the name I wish to establish as my YouTube channel to honor my current status as a fellow manager.

Here is my proposed opening statement for my planned first episode entitled A Voice in the Wilderness:

“Hello and welcome to the first episode of Management in Exile. My name is Don and my use of the word exile in this channel’s title means that I am retired and live in the wilderness of the unemployed.”

This could be taken as a downer statement, I suppose. But my hope is that my affable good nature will be amply communicated in my videos in order to inform people of my self-deprecating good humor as the means to learning about otherwise dull administrative details. We’ll see. First, however, is establishing the channel as my soon to be platform of influence in the nether world.

I access YouTube and log in as before. But when I click on the create channel button the message I get is a disappointment. It tells me to come back later. I am obedient so I do.

What I find upon my return is that my channel is my account name. This does not look like the process I witnessed many times when watching those how-to videos featuring those self-confident brats, who make it all seem intuitively obvious. It’s not, but I soldier on.

There is a Branding link which takes me to a page, where I am given the option to add images for a channel banner and a watermark. I’ve come prepared for neither, so I try another link.

The Basic Info link is more encouraging. Here I can change my channel name and handle, which I do, provide a description of the channel, which I draft, and add links to my website and email address.

The option I avoid is entering my preferred pronouns. My mind wanders back to my assigned reading in my high school days. Didn’t Yossarian, the antihero of Catch 22, censor all pronouns when reading through GI mail in his efforts to undermine military morale? This option certainly undermines mine. I leave the field blank as a statement about my resentment for having to state the obvious; at least to me and my mother, if she were here.

My protest is sufficient to wear me out emotionally. I’m done for today. My internet interaction is making me numb. I have a channel. It has the desired name and handle. It’s up to me now to give it substance.

Next week: Offering myself an Olive branch.