January 14, 2007
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I RETIRED, THEY GAVE ME A HAT!
My first job was setting pins in a bowling alley in Rapid City, South Dakota for 10 cents a line. That was 1952 and I was 13 years old. I have worked at some job or other ever since for the last 54 years in 4 states and 8 locations.
At 67 years old, I decided to retire. I never thought about retirement and always thought that I would work until they put me in the ground. But, we came back from vacation this summer and I just didn’t want to go back to work. I told my boss to hire my replacement and stayed until he was trained.
There has been an emotional adjustment and a financial change, but I don’t miss the job. I have hundreds of old photographs to scan, books I want to read, grandchildren that need an audience, an 80 year old house that always seems to need attention, and a xanga blog that has been neglected.
Comments (4)
Man, that sounds great! But I’ve a ways to go yet, yes a good many to go yet.
Trust me – in no time at all, you’ll marvel at how you found time to go to work, Paul ! All you need each day is a couple or, at a push, three hours “constructive” activity a.m. and maybe similar p.m. (grandkids allowing) and the rest is meals, telly and socialising. Hope you have the stamina !
You’ve got to make the best of it – retirement. Hope you have quite a long stretch of doing whatever’s in your heart and on your mind. Congratulations! btw – How is Rapid City these days?
Thanks for stopping by. Congratulations on your retirement. If 67 is the age to do it, I’ve got 37 LONG years to go. Looking forward to that.