Today I Quit
After 31 years of slogging away at a full-time career, at times working two jobs, I am walking out of my engineering "day-job" office for the last time - even getting something called "a pension". I know those are rare. Once I get resettled in my "Gulch" home I'll divulge what I've been doing here. While doing this work I started out as a neocon and ended up being an Objectivst-Minarchist. When I explain it will be clear as to why. The two generations of men in my family before me retired at 55. I'm 54. But, I plan to continue to do some work (I enjoy working...sick, I know). But, I'll also be coaching high school golf, may run for the school board, and I may work in the shadows to help ensure that liberalism doesn't ruin the government where I'm landing. I'm very excited about this transition. Driving a desk is a death sentence, really. Oh! And, I'm going to get to read more...which I'm excited about. My work in the C19 pandemic was so heavy I actually experienced some burnout, which was interesting. Mending well now, though. All the best to my fellow Gulchers here. I also may take some steps to organizing a gathering of us somewhere...
"(I enjoy working...sick, I know)."
Laudable, and healthy, and productive, and likely to extend your life. Nothing sick about it, in fact, the opposite.
(Of course, I feel a similar way about productive work. ;^)
Remember when Nevada (with New Hampshire) was in the top two states for consideration for the Free State movement? Boy, is that a sad joke now. Maybe this inquiry should be a whole post on its own?
I worked for the first time in Nevada in 1982 out of Elko looking for barite and gold. Did some drinking in the bar in Lamoille. I was impressed by a poster on the wall while playing pool that said "Sierra Clubbers, Kiss my axe!" I was sold. Today, the poster is gone.
One of my earliest memories is walking up the hill to Virginia City under a massive lightening storm. That high desert region can be entertaining and harsh.
Enjoy your 'new life' and I look forward to hearing about your new exploits!
Myself, I’ll be leaving the employment rolls 10 years earlier than expected so I don’t have to deal with the restrictions of COVID 29 or whatever comes down the pipe. Joke’s on you Whitmer.
After 29 years of doing Enviromental Remediation projects (which I loved doing and was very fulfilling for me), I pulled the trigger and retired at 65 years young. Retirement for me included travel in our brand-new motorhome, getting some quality time with my best friends in California. Arizona and Texas and the ability to contribute to my county, here in Georgia.
I co-founded a chapter of the Libertarian Party in my county and remain active in it.
So retirement has been berry, berry good to me and my spouse.
Sign me up for any gathering of Gulchers either in person or remotely.
Enjoy your time alone.
Been in IT for 45 1/2 years (the vast majority of that time walking point for production support when programs and data don't play well together), and it's time for me to ride off into the sunset. My company is a huge government contractor, and even though the contractor mandate from the idiot in the White House has been stayed by the courts, my company is not walking their requirement back. And I agree with that decision. I really do. It's what I would do if (God help us all) I was in management. So it's retire at the end of the year, or face termination on January 5th for being in violation of company policy. (Edited to correct a mis-spelling.)
While on the one hand it's scary as hell knowing that what has been my life 10 hours a day, 5 days a week, for the past 45+ years is about to be history, it's also incredibly liberating to know that the pressure and stress of what I do is about to end. I can't wait.
I had to retire last year at 55 for medical reasons. I had a pension and savings and ended up with a VA 100% P&T rating and receive SSDI. I started working in 1977 when I had cornered the paper route market in my neighborhood as 12 year old. I hired other kids to deliver papers and I did one route and "administered" the rest. I ended up joining the Navy and received a medical discharge after three years. I came out "damaged goods" due to the things I've seen yet I managed to get it together after awhile and made a career for myself in healthcare finance.
Until last year I'd been working since then. Single, no kids, made to much money to deduct my six figure student loan interest, not a homeowner so no mortgage deduction. I was screwed every year at tax time paying for everyone else. I had a great job until I ended up in the hospital again and the doctor told me to stay at home.
According to my last Social Security statement before retirement I and my employer had paid in over $220k. Assuming I live until 75 or 80 I'll get back more from SSDI than I paid in. But if I had that money to invest myself I'd have a bigger nest egg and I wouldn't need SSDI. I'd have done better than the 2% interest or whatever the "trust fund" makes. (Trust fund... yeah right).
We are about the same place in life, but I'm still slogging away. Thought a lot about transitioning, but even though I had a strong consulting practice ~20 years ago, don't know if I want to do something like that again. BTW, I also have a pension from my time at General Dynamics. Not much, but may pay for my internet, which will be free for everyone else probably!
TMinus 3 years. And everything is paid for. I will at that time free lance and stop the corporate rat race. Maybe even enjoy some short order cooking in a local restaurant. I enjoy that.
Question for you and the rest of the Gulch? When our income drops to the level that we are eligible to apply for “government assistance” is it disingenuous of us to do so? Or, does it further the cause of shrinking government’s access to wealth for use on other things like tyranny?
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