Retirement has found me...

[barefooter]

Or have I finally found it?

Hello to all and a good Tuesday morning. It has been a long while since participating in the AGF, but I might have a spare minute or two in the future. As of Monday morning, I am officially retired from the employment sector. I didn't say the working sector as I (and my wife) have many plans for odd jobs around the house.


After working for the West Virginia State Police just shy of 39 years, I am blessed to be able to enter into retirement. I have had a rewarding career and now look to the future to become more active in family activities, trying to be there to offer a hand to family and friends in some of their projects, and to playing the guitar more. I've already been asked to join a few other musicians in playing for Senior Citizens and Health Care facilities. I look towards each of these activities with enthusiasm and excitement.


Oh, I almost forgot there are plans to take the ski boat to the lake more and to ride the Goldwing more often. Until my wife reaches her retirement, she has insisted I enjoy my hobbies and has promised that once she can retire, we will take extended adventures together.


Have a great day. I now have to go outside and clean the deck in hopes of staining it in a day or two.

[Bob Womack]

Corn-granulations!!! Enjoy your rest!


Bob

[HHP]

There are worse places to be with time on your hands than the West Virginia mountains. I retired last Fall and and enjoying my time. I have fished more this year than in the last 10. Got my Indiana lifetime fishing license for $10 and my annual pass to all state parks for $20. I only wish other states recognized fishing licenses like they do carry permits.

[rmyAddison]

Big Congrats !~!~!

Not everybody gets to retire. I keep that perspective (retired in 2015), and think retirement is a great time to do everything you didn't have time for before, and importantly to me, give back......

Enjoy your retirement, best job I ever had.........

[jpd]

Alright Tom! Welcome to one of the greatest clubs on the planet

[Nyghthawk]

Congratulations on reaching a milestone! I am about 15 months behind you and boy am I ready! Enjoy your free time! I am going to go be jealous a while now.

[RP]

Tom: Thank you for your years of service and welcome to the world of retirement. In my mind, the worst day of retirement outshines the best day on the job....

[Basalt Beach]

Congrats on your well deserved and earned time to "do what ever you want".

Approximately 15 months ago I took a buyout offer from my employer. The company management was in a struggle with a hedge fund for control of the BOD. The long-time management, recognizing they would lose control and new management would cut 25 to 35 percent of the workforce offered up a really nice package to long-time employees. It was "too good" to refuse.

The catch was you had 6 days to decide to take it and if you did, you were out of the building 3 days after you said "yes". So, in essence, my mindset went from working for at least 3 or 4 more years to being "permanently unemployed" and collecting a pension in 9 days.

I was fortunate enough to be one of the dozen folks out of approximately 1,000 to be asked to stay on for an extra 30 days so it provided a few extra weeks to prepare my mind for the change. I throughly enjoyed the first 6 weeks after my last day by going windsurfing 4 to 5 times a week and playing guitar. I also was able to work on home improvement projects on days I did not go windsurfing.

To be fair, I have done a bit of consulting, been a speaker and presenter at conferences and taught at workshops over the last year. Most recently, I spoke at a conference in Las Vegas and then elected to travel to Sedona, Grand Canyon and Zion for 9 days of hikes with my better half who joined me on the trip. It is an example of the freedom that being retired aka permanently unemployed provides. Lastly, I have also stepped back into the classroom this spring to teach at the university which I truly enjoy. Recently, I have turned down more work than I have accepted as I have come to value my freedom.

Now, more than a year past my last official day, I get to do whatever I want, when I want. It is a freedom and a thought process which has resurfaced from childhood summers long ago when other than chores, the days were mine to enjoy. There have been brief moments when it feels a bit strange to have the thought paradigm of "having to work", however I recognize it is just a pattern of thinking, the result of 35 years of working and the associated thought patterns. In essence, the free time retirement offers is no different than than free time of our youth. So, enjoy your time at the lake, waterskiing (barefoot?), taking rides (cruising) on the GoldenWing, spending time with family, and holding the hand of your better half.

[inky]

Hi Tom, long time no see. Hope you are keeping well. I also have been away from the AGF for a couple of years, it's good to hear from you again.

Congratulations on your retirement.
Now never mind the deck....go take that motorcycle for a blast.

[Photojeep]

Congratulations! I hope it's all you want it to be.

My retirement should be occurring in June of 2023 and I can't wait. If I could retire earlier I would, but the finances just aren't there.


Best,
PJ

[fazool]

congrats!


(I can't wait to join your ranks)

[ahorsewithnonam]

Thank you for your service. I have a year and a half to go and I’ll be right there with you. I am counting the days.

[Daniel Grenier]

Looks good on you already. I retired near 3 years ago and have yet to miss the rat race one iota. It is the best “job” you can have. Enjoy!

[ADK]

Thanks for your service and congratulations!

[BradleyS]

Congratulations Brother. I hope you find transition into retirement smooth.