I Did It!
On page 14 of my novel, JUST WHAT I ALWAYS WANTED, I wrote:
And that was it. I got up the next morning and didn’t go to work. I retired.
And last week, I did. I retired.
I didn’t have a big send-off. There was a lovely party for me way back in September. But then circumstances changed, and the company sought Replacement #2 – so I stayed on a while. But an excellent successor to my successor was eventually found, and so I was able to pack my things and go.
(By the way, I know that some folks say (probably thinking of me in particular) that one always feels possessive of one’s job, and never believes that anyone will ever do it as well. Not true. My replacement is terrific, and he can do the job every bit as well as I ever could. I predict that within two months my former co-workers will be asking themselves how they ever put up with Nancy for the last 10 years.)
So at the end of my last day, I packed up. I had one half of a box and one poster. That was the total accumulation of ten years of work. But I had previously spent 15 years at another company, and when leaving that job, it had taken me hours and hours to pack up boxes and boxes of shit that I hauled home and never looked at again. So I “lived light” at this current job. It was the right thing to do, but somehow felt bittersweet when I packed up and had so little to show for ten years of earnest labor.
My sum total after 10 years
I walked around the office and it appeared that almost everyone had already left for the day.I found one old friend. I said to her, “I am in need of a hug, and I’m glad I have found someone nice to handle that.” And she obliged.
And that was it. I got up the next morning and didn’t go to work. I retired.
And now it has been one week.
Not long enough to be able to offer any profound wisdom. But I do have some early observations.
1 – With just one week home, I expected that it would feel an awful lot like a simple vacation, where you enjoy your free time, but you keep thinking about what you left undone at the office, and what horrors will await you upon your return. But I don’t feel that way. I’m done. It is rather amazing how quickly you can just turn it off.
2 – Time doesn’t drag. It speeds away. Why Instagram alone can make the clock strike noon while you are still in your pajamas. (I’m at nancyromanwriter, by the way, if you want to add me to your time-wasting consuming schedule.
3 – I like standing under the shower more than the required 30 seconds. Although I don’t want to waste water or pay an increased utility bill for the hot water, my oh my, letting the water hit the back of your neck for a pretty long time feels amazing.
4 – I can also take extra time on my hair and makeup, which is ironic since now it doesn’t matter very much. But interestingly, time spent on my makeup is beneficial. The more carefully I apply my makeup the better I look. On the other hand, additional time on my hair is disastrous. Apparently, hair can be overwrought.
5 – There is no limit to the amount of attention a dog desires. My puppy Theo seems to have concluded that I retired so that I can be his constant companion. I had not realized that Fetch needs to happen hundreds of time a day. Or that squeeky toys can be squeeked for hours on end. That privacy in the bathroom is overrated. The cats, however, have not yet noticed that I am home.
6 – Even though I have an embarrassingly huge wardrobe, I have no problem with wearing the same thing everyday. (As long as it’s cute.) It’s not going to be hard to downsize my wardrobe after all.
7 – Housework is easy if you don’t have to spend seven hours on Sunday doing it. One hour a day – same result. A piece of cake. And you can enjoy the rest of the day stress-free.
8 – This house is full of FOOD. The pantry, the refrigerator, the countertops. There are oranges and walnuts and bread and chocolate and cheese and cereal and pickles and crackers and ice cream and bananas and peanut butter. My husband and I take pride in eating wholesome food. But there is so MUCH of it. It’s everywhere. I’m concerned.
By the way, that’s me in the poster in the photo above – on the bottom on the right:
I think that photo was taken for UConn’s Alumni Women’s poster around 1996.
Twenty years later:
I’d venture to say that retirement agrees with me.
- Posted in: Humor
notquiteold 
Hoorah!!! Enjoy the next chapter in your book of “Nancy Dube Roman”. Trust me, it’s an unbelievable ride !! Have fun, relax and breathe
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Thanks… I’m loving it!
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Congratulations. I hope your retirement goes as well as mine has so far. I also worried about how I was going to turn off after almost 40 years at the same company. And I figured they wouldn’t be able to do it without me, since after all that time I knew a lot not only about my job but other people’s as well, since I had covered many of those over the years. But I only got one or two calls for help from my very competent replacements (to brag a little, they had to hire one full-time and one part-time person to replace me). And not for one minute have I missed the job. I still see the people I was close to there, and there are plenty interesting things to do beside work.
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I’m not worried as to how my company will get by. They’ll be fine. I was good at my job, but it’s accounting, not brain surgery. Looking forward to the next 25 years!
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Very happy for you. I’ll be showing my husband this post because he’s retiring from 38 years at Boeing on Thursday, April 28th. He’s looking forward to being able to spread out all the yard work over several days instead of jamming it all in on the weekend. And that bloody alarm clock that wakes him up Monday thru Friday at 3:45 am? Get out the sledge hammer, Baybee!
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Good for him! Tell him that I am in awe of how painless it was to just stop going to work. And i liked my job a lot.
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Congrats on your retirement! It’s nice to know that it’s agreeing with you so well.
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The stress is falling off me like the leaves in Fall. And it’s finally Spring in Connecticut so what a delightful time to enjoy doing nothing!
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Congratulations on your retirement – enjoy! 🙂
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Thanks! I’m already rested and stress-free – and now looking for new adventures!
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Good for you! I also slid right in to retirement without so much as a glance back. So funny about the different ways your dog and cats welcomed you home full-time. Beware the snacks! Even healthy ones can be trouble.
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Not surprising, the cats are happy if I just keep the dog quiet.
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As is often the case with your posts, I really needed to see this today! Congratulations and yes, retirement agrees with you!
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Thanks… I’m loving it!
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Awwwww….I did that last May. It’s a wonderful thing. And your measure of worth at the job is not measured in crap you pack up at the end. It’s in the hearts of those you left behind. I wrote a similar blog about what I’ve learned, but it wasn’t until months later. I LOVE not having to go to work every morning. Especially during blizzards. And when it’s sunny. Or cloudy. Or there’s fog. Well. You know.
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I’m certainly learning how sweet it is not to work. I don’t like to sleep late – but I sure like not going to the office.
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Reblogged this on ugiridharaprasad.
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Congrats Nancy, on your remarkable achievement – which is discovering, even before you are 65, that nothing depends entirely upon you, and there is life after work. Of course there are tons more things you have achieved, but that’s just a tiny start.
I have only just returned to the blogosphere after a long hiatus, during which I did tons of writing, but have yet to finish a book, even the first draft. I do however, have two rough drafts of the initial couple of chapters to two different novels, which I keep telling myself I am working on. But at the same time, I have been working on my poetry craft, and have lots and lots of those to show for my work, in addition to some short stories. Which brings me to my new and revamped (I won’t say “improved” because how does one improve perfection? OMG! Did I just say that? Appears that I spent some of my time developing chutzpah, too.) blog, called “Reason’s Moons,” and there is a link to it on my former site, “Reflections From a Cloudy Mirror,” plus I will give you the link here: http://reasonsmoons.wordpress.com/ I would be so happy to welcome you back to my little corner of the ‘sphere. In addition I have reactivated my photo blog, “Reflected Glory-My Adventures in Photography,” as I never ceased, except for the times here and there when I almost died) taking photos, although the fence around my dedicated space has decreased quite a bit in perimeter, I am thrilled to be alive and kicking at the same time! Since I just turned 65 last Friday, I am willling to offer you any words of wisdom you may feel in need of for the next couple of years, until you will also achieve such a vaunted position.
Anyway, if you have struggled down this rambling comment this far, stay with me for a couple more sentences. I want you to know how much your comments and critique meant to me in the past, and I do hope you can find some time to take up that yoke again and follow me! I am projecting that I will post twice a week on my new blog (Tuesdays and Fridays), and two or three times a month on my photo blog. Reason’s Moons will be almost exclusively poetry and occasional short stories. Except for the stories, my posts will be mostly brevity, so I won’t be demanding a great deal of time from the reader. I am doing this in preparation for self-publishing a collection of said writings. Something I have been talking about doing for the last few years, and been too chicken to actually do.
Did you self publish your novel, or did you find an agent/edifor/publisher? Just curious, and I shall be ordering your book. . .Take care, enjoy life, and come tell me about it when you can!
Paula
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Welcome back to the blogosphere. I’m delighted and will be happy to follow your new blog. Yes, my book was self-published. I had some minor interest from agents, but everything in publishing takes so long… I felt my book was ready and I wanted it out there. I’m not sorry. (And this year I even turned a little profit).
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Thanks, Nancy! A profit already? With your poetry book as well? Now that is impressive! If you think I am ready, would you give me shove? ::lol:
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I only have the novel out… I haven’t published a volume of poetry, although I think I would really like that. I can’t imagine that there’s a profit in poetry though….
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Congratulations! I took early retirement 2-1/2 years ago at 55 and it’s been mostly wonderful. There has been some adjustment pains (mostly in the realms of spending 24/7 with my husband and, ultimately, finding some meaningful things to do) which I blogged about, but it sure beats the 9-5 grind!
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Right now I’m kind of vegging, but I can think of hundreds of things to do. My dog can only think of one… Play With Him!
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Congratulations, Nancy! It’s nice to know that it was easier than you thought. I’ve always thought I’d work forever (since it seems like I already have). Maybe just maybe I can do it too. Someday!
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It was surprisingly smooth… although I must admit, I cut my hours gradually over the past six months, so I have rather eased my way into it.
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Theo is no doubt delighted!
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He is convinced I retired so that I could spend every moment with him.
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Hooray! Congratulations!
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Congratulations. I can’t even imagine having that much time on my hands. I know it fills up quickly, but… I just can’t imagine it. I guess I’d find out who i am and what i really like to do, wouldn’t I?
Keep us up to date, now that you have more time to do so!
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I think many people are happier working, and that’s okay too. But I have books to read and to write, and I’ve been ready for a couple of years now.
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Congratulations!! I did it at the end of December. It took a couple of weeks of waking up thinking, “I don’t have to GO to work today!” for it to sink in. Then I got busy on my book.
Enjoy your time, and let us know how much fun you’re having!!
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Congrats to you too! Yes, my new book is my first priority. I love writing – and I won’t give up the blog any time soon.
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Welcome to the clique of people who have paid their “dues” and can now relax, hopefully without worry. Hoping to see more of you two in the future, since you now have the weeks “free”.
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Yes, we need a lunch at AJ’s soon. And their new building is almost done (at least from the looks of it) – they’ll have barbecue and outdoor seating, as well as the best burgers in the state.
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Congratulations, Nancy! Loved your points, all so true. I just spent six months living out of a suitcase with a 13-Item Wardrobe. Other than being a bit boring, I see no reason to have many more clothes than that now. I’ll do the major clear out as soon as I finish goofing around on FB and other social media.
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I’m not sure about the 13 items. Maybe 13 items per season….
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I just read this on ugiridharaprasad. I mentioned how much I enjoyed reading this blog and wished you a happy retirement 😀 I realized after I had finished that you might not actually see it. I’m not sure how that works on WP.
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Thanks for commenting here. I can connect to a re-blog, but I sometimes don’t remember to do that.
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Congratulations. Hoping to live that kind of life someday.
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I never thought the day would actually be here. It’s sweet. I hope you can do it too.
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All the best in your new adventure. Traveling light? Love it. Walking in your own light? Priceless.
Dan in Chicago
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What a lovely sentiment. Thanks!
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Congrats, and enjoy it! Wouldn’t it feel just a little bit good if the office fell apart for a while without you?
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Well, maybe just a teensy bit good…
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I followed! (Mine is private but I accept requests when I know who they are from) 🙂 Your puppy is adorable! And big congrats on your retirement!
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Got two new followers on instagram around the same time… are you the one whose account starts with dpir or with caku?
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I’m caku
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Congrats! ENJOY!
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You are an inspiration!! I can’t wait to retire and begin the next phase
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Thanks! I have a feeling these next few years will be the best ones of my life!
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:: LOVE:: this! Congratulations ~ so happy for you and looking forward to reading what life brings you 🙂 MJ
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Loved reading this. I’m sure I’ve worn jeans almost every day since retiring. Keep applying the makeup. I spritz the perfume and somehow the day smells sweeter – even though I might be doing garden or household chores.
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Congrats on your retirement Nancy! You made me laugh at your observations about the dog–I’m convinced my Sophie and Stanley are in cahoots to see how many times a day they can get me to open the door to outside for them. Enjoy your endless days of NO WORK!
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Congrats! ☻
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When you retire with no regrets, don’t look back, and thoroughly enjoy each day, you’re doing it right. I retired from a great job (12 years as spokesperson for a state agency), and now when I see an article in the newspaper or on TV that I would have worked on, I just shrug and think how glad I am I don’t have to call reporters back from home when I’m sick. You will make the most of every day, whether that means binge-watching Netflix or writing your next novel. It’s all good.
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Happy retirement, Nancy! As someone who’s worked at home a lot, I can relate to a lot of what you’re saying. Especially about dogs, cats, housework and food. I’ve yet to meet anyone who regretted retiring. Congratulations.
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Ha ha! Yes, Nancy, you are having much more fun twenty years later! Great pic! Happy retirement! I’m looking forward to it myself in a couple more years and I, too, plan to make the exit short and sweet. 😉
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Congratulations, Nancy! I hope you continue to enjoy retirement as much as I have. The past 9 years have flown by, but they have been full of wonderful adventures. Being able to do what you want to do when you want to do it can’t be beat! 🙂
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It really does agree with you! Of course, now I am expecting your next novel any day now.
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