"Life After the Beginning" by
Jim Lowry, MOSERS Retiree
RetireeNews articles focus a great
deal on the implications retirement may
have on your life. But what about the actual
experiences of our retirees? MOSERS asked
Jim Lowry to describe how retirement has
affected his life. Take a few minutes to
read how he has chosen to spend his days
after retiring from the state.
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So you think you will retire, clean out the desk, throw
away all those problems from state government. Then,
when you get home you will clean out the garage, become
a master gardener, finish that woodworking project,
paint the downstairs, and that is just in the first
week. Wrong!
I retired from the Department
of Mental Health in September of 2003 but have since
found another job. What happened to my fun? While it
is true that I was a child prodigy to have retired at
such a young age, I still had a son in college, and
a daughter in high school. Funny how those things keep
on going regardless of how dirty the garage might be
or how many scuff marks are on the wall. I figured as
long as I enjoyed what I was doing, why stop?
A New Post-Retirement
Career
The new job gave me a sense of renewal. I crossed the
bridge and really never looked back. Even with a blip
on the health screen after I started the new job, I
soon appreciated the new opportunity as not the end
but the beginning. I was very fortunate to find an organization
that appreciated my experience and allowed a lot of
flexibility, provided a good benefit package that enhanced
my MOSERS benefit, and gave me the opportunity to try
a lot of things I had put on the shelf for a long time.
My new employer allows me the freedom to teach, write,
sit at the decision table, participate as a contributing
member and I give back to them as much as I can. We
have a good relationship. You can pack up the boxes
and dump them in the dumpster at the end of the day,
but you still have value, and there are agencies and
companies looking to use those “value added”
skills it took you 25-30 years to develop.
Priorities
. . .
You may know of high level jobs that are available in
other cities. But if you do not want to move because
your home is your home, then you have to refocus your
priorities. Look beyond the obvious, look at the “big
picture.” The important factors of your life may
not really be in job title, or status, they may be in
quality of life. If you are lucky enough to have good
health, supportive family members and friends keeping
an eye out for new opportunities, then you could also
“cross the bridge” and forget about the
old you, and create a new you. I remember my mother
saying, at the age of 75, that she did not like going
to senior center events because she did not like being
around all those old people! Now that I am working my
way up to her definition of “old people”
I guess I have to watch what I say, but I think she
had a pretty good attitude about keeping in the main
stream of life and staying active to the level that
fits your lifestyle.
Look to Create a New
You
So I recommend retirement highly, it gives you the opportunity
to look at yourself differently. You may decide that
you want to work more, or maybe just clean the garage.
Either way, you are the winner. If you want to work,
I believe there are enough employers out there that
value experience, but you may have to review your resume.
Find a new way to describe your experience, focus on
your achievements and your interest in learning new
things. Change is inevitable, and if you are able to
“go with the flow” you will be happier.
You can make your new co-workers much happier because
you already know how to work.
Sometimes changes are thrust upon us unexpectedly.
Johann Strauss I, a prominent composer, violinist, and
conductor of his own orchestra, died in 1849, and his
son, Johann Strauss II, annexed his business. He soon
achieved great popularity and the title, “The
Waltz King.” Now, you may not want to be known
as “The Waltz King” but you may find work
more fun, the second time around!
--Written by Jim Lowery,
HR Supervisor, Cole County Residential Services, Inc.
(CCRSI), which provides residential services to people
with developmental disabilities. You can learn more
about CCRSI at their website www.ccrsi.org. |
