Learning to be Retired

It has been a fairly easy transition from working full time to being entirely free to take a nap whenever I want. Or stay up late. Or binge watch Netflix to my heart's content. I am still processing the fact that I may never "have to go" to work again - ever. At least in this lifetime!

My last year at work, I tried to be conscious and clear about what I was doing and what was happening. I personally reflected on those long years that truly flew past at an incredible rate. I recalled the wonderful things about my career - the good friends, the work itself, the accomplishments. There were some very satisfying achievements in those decades. There were a few devastating disappointments. It was a lot more fun to go to work before I became supervisor - and I was a supervisor for a very long time.

The last five years were the worst. Enormous change in process and software dealt a mighty blow to much of what had been fairly efficient and successful systems, some of which I had worked long and hard to establish. Those changes plus enormous changes in management personnel and structure pushed people far out of their comfort levels. An enormous influx of younger people was truly a breath of fresh air but also brought about a culture clash of sorts. There were so many older employees and so many young employees that people were not speaking the same language. Older employees were subtly disrespected and their decades of knowledge were not valued. Younger employees were making changes without understanding all the ramifications, bringing much chaos. People were unhappy, insecure, upset, angry and stressed. All the normal work that had to be done coupled with so much change was enormously difficult. It served to drive many employees toward retirement earlier than they had planned. However, by the time I left, the tide had turned and people were adapting, learning to efficiently accomplish their work despite the burdensome changes. The new employees will eventually become old and face being replaced with newer versions and the circle will be complete. The company will survive and continue to flourish. (I have met many of those young employees and they are the cream of the crop!) But those last five years of my career were difficult and not fun and that is a good thing. Otherwise I may have continued to work. Retirement is much, much better!

It has only been a few months and while I am certainly conscious of the fact that I no longer have a job, there are lifetime habits and thought processes that are taking their sweet time to die off. The idea that I "better get to bed" is no longer relevant. Most of my early childhood memories involve my formidable resistance to taking naps and bedtime. Then puberty hit, followed closely by adulthood: sleeping became desirable and valuable and rare. Now taking a nap whenever I want is wonderfully restorative. It is delicious! The only thing that would make it better is if I was napping on a floating mattress in the turquoise sea beneath the tropical sun.

I have not even scratched the surface of retirement. There are some things that have not even occurred to me yet. This could be the best time of my life after all. I have an allowance, my own car, no curfew and I do not have to get up and go to work on Monday morning ever again. No one is the boss of me!