Breaking into photo research jobs...did I miss by boat?

Hello All,
I am new here and I just found out about Ed2010. I feel so lonely, lost and confused that I feel the need to resort to message boards for help. Here’s my problem:

I want to break into the field of photo researching. I wish I could work for a lifestyle magazine like Maxim, Marie Claire or other entertainment magazines.

I think I have many obstacles getting in my way which prevents me from pursuing work in this field. I think maybe my number one problem is my education. I have a B.A. in journalism but at the time I was in college, the curriculum was rather “open”. In other words, the journalism students dabbled in everything from writing, layout, and public relations to photography. (Circa late 2005)

I never felt like there was any real focus and because of that, I never knew what I wanted. I had a few editorial internships here and there but got bored quickly. I took them only because the journalism listserv posted it and I just wanted experience.

I was never into trade magazines or hard news as I discovered. Photography interested me the most but I felt like I was getting into it too late when I was in college. It was fun but I felt like there was so much to learn about aperture and other technical stuff.

In my senior year, my class worked on our own magazine. I served as one of the photographers, did some writing and was named Distribution Coordinator on the masthead since it was my responsibility to contact places to carry our free magazine.

After college, I still did not know what career path to choose. I needed a job so badly and retail was the only industry that responded to me. So for the past few years that is all I have been doing.

However, in 2006 I did work for a high volume portrait studio. I took pictures of everything from babies to families and pets. You didn’t need to know technical information. The lighting and everything else was “fixed”. All we had to do was get creative and learn how to pose people.

I loved the job because it gave me the confidence to direct people in order to make a great portrait. However, I didn’t like the high-volume and the hormonal soccer moms I had to deal with. I kept a poker face the entire time and was complimented many times on how “patient” I was.

I think I appeared that way but inside I was annoyed. Also, the pay was low and the hours were unsteady. Eventually I left that job to pursue a full-time job with benefits. (You gotta live and be healthy. Sorry folks but reality sets in!)

I found this site and have been applying to photo research internships but I think I am at a loss because I am no longer a student and my networking skills suck. So how does one get back into the game or pursue a photo research internship?
Is it possible for me to pursue a photo research job or internship without wanting to be an actual photographer? I know it sounds silly but I was wondering if it is feasible.