I am deviating somewhat from my usual boating or motorcycling related posts.. This one is truly ‘pure rambling’. Have no fear.
Almost 6 weeks ago I retired after working for 35 years for the same company (and 10 years before that). The company was great. The people great. What I wanted to share is a kind of gradual ‘transformation’ (for lack of a better term) that I have noticed over the last few weeks. It was expected, but much better experienced.
Retirement is something you plan for (hopefully). There are a zillion articles on finances, social security blah blah blah. They all say the same thing. There is not much to talk about the mental state. I am talking about the first few weeks. It’s a big change.
I found my first week to be one of a reality check. Communications stopped immediately. I was carved out of the corporate email server (trust me I am not complaining).. From having over so many years my day filled with corporate duties and oversight of individuals, I was now on my own. I had the foresight last year to get a personal cell phone knowing that retirement was just over the horizon. The beginning of the separation of church and state so to speak. I still found myself checking for emails and text messages. By the end of the week, I was getting used to realizing, nothing was coming. Not much got done. I just decompressed. Coffee on the deck until 9 or 10. No plans. Fighting thoughts that I should be doing something..
The second week began the ‘purge’. Time to get rid of stuff. Items, papers, chachkies from work that once were, or seemed important. Years of personal stuff accumulated in the closet or workshop, you know, all those parts you save saying ‘ that is still good, I might need it’, went out. It actually was quite therapeutic. Time for a change. Get rid of it. I filled a bunch of those big garbage bags, you know the ones from Home Depot. The contractor bags. I was worried the trash guys wouldn’t take it all. I watched. They did. It was all gone.
The third week is when I truly began to internalize it. The change. Decompression was beginning to sink in, to take hold. I found myself sitting, thinking, watching nothing. I had time. It was mine. Living in the moment. Small projects got done. Not because I felt I had to. Because I had the time to do them. Big difference. There was still some residual guilt that I should be doing more. Naps helped.
I guess I am fortunate in that I have many things that I can bury myself in. With time, the enjoyment expands. Hard to explain. As noted in one of my previous posts, I took a solo motorcycle trip to North Carolina to visit my brother. I think I cranked out a couple of ‘how to’ YouTube videos. I rebuilt the computer network in my house. Finally sanded and sealed a bed frame I had made. All of it because it was on my time.
Where I am trying to get to is the gradual comprehension of the value of time. We think we know. And perhaps we do. The thing that has come to my understanding (and I fully realize it is different for all) is how special this is. Before, others had control. Work always seemed to creep in. Weekends and vacations were finite.
I know some will go on a world cruise, or a vacation right away or something else to celebrate the work/retirement threshold. I know we will. In my mind, I will know when it is the right moment to do that.
Maybe I am getting too deep here. Right now, I am sitting in the garage on a weekday afternoon, watching a thunderstorm work its way in, typing this. This is me living in the present. Enjoying. Not stuffing an activity in because I am worried about the future and not having enough time.
For those of you soon to retire, or contemplating whether you should… Decide whether you can first obviously. Once you do, decompress, take the time to embrace the time. It’s yours. There is no deadline or hold file.
For those of you who have retired and told me ‘you will love it’ – you were right. I now go a day or two and don’t think about work. What a concept. 🙂
What I do know, it is time for a cocktail….
Life is good.
I am just a few weeks behind you, but can affirm a lot of what you say. It’s all on my time. It really sunk in for me when I was making an appointment for tires, and when they asked what day or time worked for me, it was truly a pleasure to reply, “any day or time works for me.” I am still unpacking from my cross country move, but am also purging like crazy – I count the days until trash day so then I can pile everything up on the curb. I finally got my car in the garage today. I have no regrets at all.
Great read. Keep writing!
I am so glad to hear you are doing well… It definitely is different than what you are used to… and rightly so… Take some deep breathes, enjoy the scenery, and ENJOY ENJOY ENJOY! Miss you guy!
As always, beautifully written! As an hourly employee, I often find Mike in the garage eating peanuts from the shell and drinking a cold one when I arrive home from work. He has always had perspective ENJOY!! No one deserves it more!!!
Cheers! I’m glad you’re enjoying and I am still jealous, but you also deserve it!
As usual, your writing skills are wonderful. You could easily have found a new career, should you want one! I know I’m somewhere behind you, I just haven’t conceptualized when I’ll be ready. In the meantime, I’ll continue to enjoy reading about your experiences.
Great read, I’m a couple of years away but it makes me think!
I appreciate your incite, looking forward to your next adventure.
Don
“I was worried the trash guys wouldn’t take it all. I watched. They did.”
You make me laugh.
Great article Paul and soon you will be thinking, “When did I ever have the time to work?” We were lucky enough to work for one of the greatest companies, one that certaintly looked after their employees with great retirement benefits. I think my greatest adjustment was trying to sleep in. I’m still an early riser but at least I sleep in to 6am; nice change from getting up at 4:30am. Enjoy, you have earned it.