CUL-DE-SAC

Today I’m at the front end of a two week vacation. Not going anywhere.  Just not working.

This is going to take some getting used to.

In the sunset of my career I wonder, What’s next?

And I’d better get used to it since I’m 65, and I’m planning to retire when I turn 66. Why am I retiring? Because I’m gonna be 66.

Yes, I’ve grown tired of the daily grind and age discrimination is a real thing. The opportunities I had in years past are less common these days.

People begin to look at you in the workplace and wonder why you’re still there. I remember a man named David Candow who used to do some training for me and my colleagues. He once explained to us why he left his long-time employer, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

“I felt myself circling the drain,” he said.

Now I know what he means.

I have been looking forward to retirement and people congratulate me when they hear that it’s near. My finances are pretty good, thanks to some planning but a lot more good fortune. Speaking of good luck, a year ago I met my partner Linda. I don’t fear loneliness like I used to.

Even so, what’s it going to be like, not having to go to work? This week I’ve been mostly idle. I think to myself, “I don’t have to go to work tomorrow, or the next day. I don’t have to go to work next week either.”  It’s a blessing when it’s a welcome break from work. But what’s it like when that blessing just keeps going? Is it still a blessing?

Sure I want to travel and do fun things. But constantly traveling and recreating is too expensive and, well, it’s just not for me. The most appealing description of retirement I have heard came from a colleague who said, “Retirement means I get to quit my day job.”

Quitting your day job doesn’t mean you move on to doing nothing. It means you find another occupation that is more fun, less money and less work. I don’t know what that occupation is going to be. But gimme some time and maybe I’ll figure it out.

This entry was posted on May 21, 2025 at 11:32 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.