I’m glad to hear the uneasiness went away. It’s surprisingly different for different folks. I’ve never enjoyed, nor wanted to work – from my first job in 1974 to my last day in 2019. I don’t like being on anyone’s schedule and would have retired after my first day in fast food, if it were possible. My retirement was (is) the biggest gift I’ve ever given myself and I sailed out of my career with zero regrets. I’ve had no contact with my former workplace save one lunch with a former co-worker, I haven’t driven past*, or even thought about it much – in 4 years.
My Dad is the exact opposite. He loved the social aspect and has kept in close contact with every co-worker he could. He’s been retired for 28 years and recently showed me the list of 41 co-workers who’ve died. He could recount their wives, kids, hobbies, and every aspect of their lives. I tried and couldn’t name a dozen of my former co-workers. I’ve already forgotten most of them – they were the real-life NPCs for me.
I’d say those who actually miss their work are to be envied. They probably enjoyed it more during the 10,000 or so hours of drudgery. I wonder if our differing attitudes are correlated with intro/extro-version? Or maybe with being in management instead of just a drone?
Anyway, congratulations on retirement! Hope you enjoy it as much as I have. I’ve never regretted an instant of it, and have declined two informal offers to return to the grind. On the last one I quoted Decker (from Blade Runner) “I was quit when I come in here – I’m twice as quit now.”
*Due to security levels, you can’t drop by and visit. Driving past the building would be the closest approximation.
I too, used the wingwalkers philosophy: Don’t let go of what you’ve got until you have a good grip on what you’re getting. Fortunately, I have such a myriad of interests I wonder how I got anything done when I spent 50 hours a week at work or going to/from it.
It is hard to let go of what had been your problem. It was your value add, your mission. You nursed it and tended it and pruned it and all the rest. Skillfully too. There is a lot to admire there. You have much to be proud of.
Next Saturday that won’t matter to you. Not the team, not the data, not the users. None of that will matter to you.
Looked at the correct way, it’s good that your employer demonstrated their indifference to both you and your mission by screwing with you over the last 6 months. If they, who do have an ongoing interest in these things, are willing to leave that data unprocessed and those users unsupported, you can have no rational reason to care more than HQ does. You certainly do have an emotional / professional interest in that this week. As you’ve shared with us. And rightly so.
Next week you get to throw off that emotional interest too. And with a clear conscience. Yes, a part of you is coming to an irretrievable end. But something just as big, and potentially far bigger is about to begin. And likely something far, far better.
Other than I don’t know what FIRE refers to, this is me. Every day is like a summer day when I was about 13 or 14. Old enough to go off with friends with no ties, but not so old that I had responsibilities hovering overhead.
I still have some responsibilites now, but pretty much everything is on my time and at my choice. It’s nice.
No. It’s Financial Independence/Retire Early. This is a movement that’s big on Reddit and elsewhere to teach younger people the lifestyle and investing and spending techniques to achieve it.
You nailed it. There’s a decent early retirement forum where people discuss it in detail. There’s even a free FIRE calculator to track your progress. There are many good people on there willing to share their experience.
FTR I fall in the standard Fire category.
Is there an opposite of FIRE? Perhaps FURL (Financially Uncertain, Retire Late)? If so, that kindasorta describes me — I retired at 70½, about the same time I had to start taking distributions from my IRAs — except that my finances are pretty well set: delaying retirement boosted my Social Security and pension payments enough that 99% of the time they get me through the month without touching said IRAs.
Actually, I felt no particular drive to retire and had/have no grand plans what to do. But the letters from Social Security were getting more strident (and I’d reached the point where the monthly payment stopped increasing with age), and my temporary position was due to expire in a couple of months. The state agency I was working for was willing to extend it for another two years, but I figured it was simply time to pull the plug. I let them know in March 2018 and left at the end of June. No regrets.
We just got back from paying off our mortgage. We now own this home free and clear.
That’s a fat chunk of change every month NOT going to Wells Fargo. We’ll be able to buy our next (retirement) home outright, and not only have no mortgage, but a good bit left over to add into our IRA.
Also just rolled over Mr. brown’s 401(k) from a previous employer to a Schwab IRA, there to be parked in a money market fund until such time as we move our investments over to income instruments. Don’t I wish that money market funds would continue to pay the same amount as they pay right now. We’d just put everything we have in one and 4.7% would provide a nice income.
This is helping to alleviate anxiety bit by bit.
Next up: figure out all the Medicare details. We already applied back when we were 65, so we’re in, but it’s all the rest of the stuff that’s flummoxing.
I talked to a person who specializes in heathcare insurance. She’s taken my basic information and said that a month before my insurance will end to get back with her, but she sees plenty of options for me, plus recommendations for when I hit Medicare age. I’d recommend finding someone on your area who’s a specialist.
I found the Medicare aspect the most confusing. Once I’d figured it out, then, it was easier understanding what I’d read before. Duh. But I had post-retirement medical from my company, and I was terrified I’d do something wrong or sign up for the wrong option and mess that up.
I found Medicare for Dummies to cover all the bases. It was very helpful when it was time for me to go on Medicare. It has worked out fine for the past 6 years.
The Medicare site is pretty good, but does not have all the background and comparisons.
And you should search for the Medicare threads.
One job I had with the UPS help desk ended when they moved the job from Tempe to Las Vegas. They offered to move anyone who wanted but only a couple people, not including me, took them up on it. The job involved a lot of data integration with the larger shippers’ various order-taking systems and our rate calculating / label printing software. The LV desk had been active for some months before the switch over but had not really picked up on that aspect yet.
The bosses decided it would be a good idea if they got some training in that and picked four of us who were really good to go up there for four weeks and teach them. They would fly us up Monday morning then back Thursday evening so we could have a Friday back home for interviews and such. Hotel, meals, and one car rental were also paid for.
When we got there the first Monday the site manager in his infinite wisdom put us on the phones instead. We smiled, nodded, and did help desk calls all week. With the concurrence of the four of us, the senior-most guy called the boss when we were back and said, "We’ll keep going if you like but honestly, it’s a waste of our time and your money.
The boss said, “Stand by,” then called us on Saturday afternoon to say we would be doing the training as expected for the last three weeks. We never did see the site manager during that period.