Winding Down
I LET MY EMPLOYER know last week that I'm leaving. It���s a strange feeling to think I���ll soon be saying goodbye to the daily routine I���ve followed for more than two decades.
When I began working at the college, I was 31 years old. If I wore my blonde hair up in a ponytail, I was often mistaken for a student. But working at a college provides a unique perspective on aging. Every year, I grew older but the students surrounding me stayed the same age.
I still remember the shock I felt���just a few years into the job���when I realized the incoming freshman class had been born the year I graduated from high school. Now, as I prepare to leave, I���m keenly aware that almost none of the students who wander around campus was born when I began working there.
It���s been 24 years, 48 semesters, almost 8,800 days.
To be honest, I never expected to stay that long. I took a $5,000-a-year pay cut when I started working as the biology department manager. But since the job came with some excellent benefits���including a generous early retiree perk���I decided to take a chance on it.
My predecessor had left the job abruptly, apparently disillusioned with department politics. She left behind a letter for me to read that described, in great detail, the turmoil that existed. She predicted I wouldn���t last six months.
I took it as a personal challenge.
To be sure, it���s never been a dream job. Most of what I do involves solving problems other people don���t want to deal with. I make sure broken equipment gets repaired. I ensure the various lab exercises being taught each week run smoothly. I order supplies and I pay bills. It���s not glamorous or particularly challenging. It does, however, allow me to work independently, making it an ideal match for my introverted personality.
And the benefits have been generous. The college has made regular contributions to my retirement account since the day I started. I���ve had good health care coverage and plenty of paid time off. And even though it has no monetary value, the fact that I���ve been able to bring my dogs to work with me every day for 24 years is, perhaps, the benefit I���ve valued the most.
For sure, I���ll miss seeing some of the people I���ve worked with over the years. But new adventures and challenges are ahead. Leaving behind a steady paycheck isn���t an easy decision, but it���s one I���m slowly becoming comfortable with.
When I began working at the college, I was 31 years old. If I wore my blonde hair up in a ponytail, I was often mistaken for a student. But working at a college provides a unique perspective on aging. Every year, I grew older but the students surrounding me stayed the same age.
I still remember the shock I felt���just a few years into the job���when I realized the incoming freshman class had been born the year I graduated from high school. Now, as I prepare to leave, I���m keenly aware that almost none of the students who wander around campus was born when I began working there.
It���s been 24 years, 48 semesters, almost 8,800 days.
To be honest, I never expected to stay that long. I took a $5,000-a-year pay cut when I started working as the biology department manager. But since the job came with some excellent benefits���including a generous early retiree perk���I decided to take a chance on it.
My predecessor had left the job abruptly, apparently disillusioned with department politics. She left behind a letter for me to read that described, in great detail, the turmoil that existed. She predicted I wouldn���t last six months.
I took it as a personal challenge.
To be sure, it���s never been a dream job. Most of what I do involves solving problems other people don���t want to deal with. I make sure broken equipment gets repaired. I ensure the various lab exercises being taught each week run smoothly. I order supplies and I pay bills. It���s not glamorous or particularly challenging. It does, however, allow me to work independently, making it an ideal match for my introverted personality.
And the benefits have been generous. The college has made regular contributions to my retirement account since the day I started. I���ve had good health care coverage and plenty of paid time off. And even though it has no monetary value, the fact that I���ve been able to bring my dogs to work with me every day for 24 years is, perhaps, the benefit I���ve valued the most.
For sure, I���ll miss seeing some of the people I���ve worked with over the years. But new adventures and challenges are ahead. Leaving behind a steady paycheck isn���t an easy decision, but it���s one I���m slowly becoming comfortable with.
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