Thanks for your personal report. I’m staring down the barrel of voluntary retirement in a couple of years. I workout regularly and am healthy as a horse, but I am increasingly looking forward to doing some second career. I don’t know what, maybe a greater at a local Walmart, but I look forward to changing from the grind of daily punching the clock to something else, but we gotta get our kids out of college. So, yeah, Retire, but use what God has given you to the fullest.
Don’t work at Walmart. You’ll be chasing down thieves and greeting the nasty Third World all day long.
I got out of the military and came back into the DoD filling slots out in Embassies and offices around the world. Did several tours in AFG and IRQ. Am working in an embassy in Africa.
I have reached the fifteen year mark and have decided I want to return to Africa as a missionary. Once I get back to DC, I am going to start the paperwork for early retirement, take whatever cuts they deem, then prepare to return.
I have one child left at home and he does not seem to be too HUAH about the move.
I’ve just embarked on a second “career”, taking early retirement from a great company, and going to another great place. Getting a new salary, taking the “reduced” payout from my old-fashioned pension, my wife retiring, staying home, and doing the same, has financially worked out great so far.
The combination of my former company’s reputation, my background experience, and my gray hair have given me a good head-start on the “perceived wisdom” scale. It’s great to have people listen to what I have to say again.
I’m not sure how it would pan out if I didn’t have a job to go to... My wife and I might be at each other’s throats!