I'm retiring tomorrow.... how the F*@K did this happen?!

[Ruby]

I've been a public servant for almost 14 years. I love my job above everything else. I get to help people for a living. And I'm really good at it. My Department are having massive cutbacks, and my health isn't good enough to maintain full-time hours right now. I got made an offer of redundancy. Tomorrow's my last chance to take it.

I've just decided I'm going to do it. It makes a lot of sense financially (at least in the short-term), and I can get consultancy work (probably), and I can return to the service after 15 weeks if I can find somewhere to take me, but...... holy crap!
I'm fucking retiring dude! I'm only 38!

Please make soothing noises. Or send Xanax.

[Hayley]

If your health's not too good for full time work would it not be a good idea to maybe retire and then have time to concentrate on your health and general well-being? After all, you said it made sense financially (s/t) anyways, so take it and look for consultancy work or going back into service once you feel you need to.

Now, let's get you over this shock - come sit down and have a cuppa :D

[Ruby]

Ahhhhhhh. Thanks Hayley. That's just what I needed.

I'm actually looking forward to concentrating on my health, as well as reviving my eBay/Etsy businesses, getting back into photography & testing out some vintage cameras, getting more reading done, maybe going back to roller derby etc.

It's a big shock to leave my dream job. And to do so semi-voluntarily. The ego is a bit bruised that it happened this way. And the boyfriend is just panicking about the risk of unemployment down the line.

Can that cuppa please have a shot of something in it? :)

[Rebecca]

Sooth sooth sooth. I'm sorry you can't be doing what you'd like to do. I hope those new opportunities come rolling in!

[Jim]

Bad health - getting back into roller derby

Am I missing something here?

[Mary]

I left my job when I was 47 which is still pretty young (I don't really call it retirement) because of stress and family issues. It was a difficult transition, I especially missed seeing the great people I worked with and for.
But I found my niche in volunteer work and I really love it. You still have that sense of helping people and you get to pick the projects and the hours! And I have had a couple of contractual jobs that have been a boon to the finances.
Good luck to you. It may be a great opportunity although it may be hard to see it that way right now.

[Ruby]

I've scouted out a few opportunities, and an old boss suggested some awesome opportunities as consultant - I'd still get to be doing community development work with Indigenous people, so that'll be great if it works out.

Worst comes to worst, my exclusion period from the public service is only 15 weeks so I could probably get help from some old colleagues to get back in if that's still what I want to do in a few months' time.

And yeah - I started training for roller derby as a different way to approach my chronic pain issues. I certainly have a lot less fear of pain now!

[Hayley]

Ruby wrote: "Ahhhhhhh. Thanks Hayley. That's just what I needed.

I'm actually looking forward to concentrating on my health, as well as reviving my eBay/Etsy businesses, getting back into photography & testin..."

Put a shot of whatever you like in that cuppa hun. I prefer milk :P

I'm with you on the photography and cameras! If I were any good I'd love to be able to do that :) I'm sure that, even though it is your dream job, you'll find something else to keep you occupied that you'll be loving in no time :) Doors close, windows open - all that jazz!

And, on an optimistic approach - isn't it great that you got to do you're dream job, even if you are leaving it earlier than you wished :D The ego may be bruised but I'm sure the company didn't want to lose you or make it feel personal at all, cuts hit everyone - even those company's wouldn't mind keeping if only things were better.

Just see this as a time for you to do other things you love (roller derby + health issues - I'm with Jim on this :?)and look into some suggestions here, they sound good!

[Ruby]

BunWat wrote: "Think of it as another kind of roller derby. The world comes along and swipes you into a different lane. So you can get all flustered because it wasn't your plan, or you can dig in and come flyin..."

True. There's a three second rule in derby when you get knocked down - you get back up real quick!

[Sarah]

Yay derby!

[[deleted user]]

I say stop your pissing and moaning and live it up! If you're anywhere near St. Kilda, there's always this:



I'd kill to see those guys.

[Phil]

I retired eight years ago just after turning 40. My new full-time job was "stay at home dad." For me it was the perfect thing to do. My son got a non-stressed-out parent and I got to enjoy every step of his development.

When he started school, I lucked into a new business that a friend wanted to start. We put in about three hours a day, two or three days of the week, and we're doing just fine.

You never know what's around the next corner.

[Gertie]

You have plenty of other skills you can capitalize on if money ever becomes an issue, and it sounds like you will have other public service opportunities (maybe getting to do some more of that "dream job" work), so it's really not such a nightmare. I'd vote for dwelling on the positive. You'll probably find other positives as time goes by. I think you'll have a lot of fun with the Etsy, Ebay, photography etc.!

[Ruby]

Thanks guys. Now that it's done, I'm feeling pretty good about it.

Every morning has been such a battle with my health, just to try and make it in to work. It's such a HUGE relief not to be worrying about that anymore. I've had a lovely first day off - even took my first afternoon nap! There's a billion things I want to do now that I have the time. And it's starting to look likely there'll be some consultancy work when my health improves - community development projects in Indigenous communities.

The only really dark cloud for now is that I have to start trialling new medication tonight. Nine times out of 10 the meds they give me really knock me around. Let's hope this lot doesn't stop my brain working. If you don't hear from me for a while, you'll know why!

[Phil]

Hehehe. She said "indigenous."

[Ruby]

Phil wrote: "Hehehe. She said "indigenous.""

?

[Gertie]

Haha I know Ruby... I have a dirty mind and still couldn't work that one out. So now we have to take all of the fun out of it for Phil and ask him what he means. :-P

[Phil]

I just think it's a cool sounding word that could be dirty if you want it to.

"Dude, that girl's boobs were totally indigenous!"

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Many girls' boobs are indigenous. However, some are not.

[Ruby]

Yeah, I'm gonna still go with, WTF? I'm not very comfortable with the addition to the thread title either. It's a cultural thing - I think most Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders would find that pretty offensive.

Given that the thread is in my name, I would hate for that comment to be attributed to me.

[janine]

As the thread author you can change the title whenever you want.

[Ruby]

janine wrote: "As the thread author you can change the title whenever you want."

Thanks for that. Done!