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Location: Approximately 50 miles from Missoula MT/38 yrs full time after 4 yrs part time
2,308 posts, read 4,121,934 times
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What do you miss from your working career?
What do I miss about my working for almost 40 years..................................?
There are several aspects of my working career that I do miss:.................................
Of my almost 40 years, 39 years involved my working for companys that provided the following benefits that I requested be part of my employment contract:
1/...A company automobile for ALL company related business....of any kind.
2/ ...A liberal Expense Account for anything related to company business.
3/... Complete Medical insurance for me and my family.
4/...My wife could travel with me on week-long business trips out of state.....so long as I paid for her meals.
In addition, I missed the personal contact with a majority of my clients, bosses and co-workers .......over the years I developed many REAL friendships during the course of my working years.........Yes, I do miss those friendships and realtionships.
These four requests were never refused.........and I worked for 6 different companys in those 39 yrs.... (EDIT): I should note that, by design, my job responsibilities and the Industry that I worked in remained the same........thus I retained almost all my clients, business connections and contacts when advancing from one company to another.............Being the type of person that could not work in an office day-in and day-out, I excelled in "my-slot", which required extensive travel throughout the western U.S., Canada & Alaska and some selected cities in the eastern U.S........................Yes, I liked my job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THESE are some of the aspects and benefits related to my working career that I missed after I went into retirement .
Last edited by Montana Griz; 06-06-2015 at 10:03 PM..
Reason: additional info
I retired 2 1/2 yrs ago after 29 yrs in Federal Government. I do not miss it at all, I do however miss the people but I have made new friends and found other enjoyable activities to occupy my time.
I'm within striking distance of retirement but have talked to many who have retired including those who have retired and then again are back on the work saddle. Have a cousin who retired after 30 plus years as a heavy equipment operator. He could hardly wait until he had his magic number of years and age to retire and begin receiving a union pension. I believe he quit on the day that he hit his number.
Fast forward two years, he's now working in the South Pole as a heavy equipment operator and I just learned that he is signing up for another year.
I don't miss the stress and the lousy work schedule, but I do sometimes miss the people and the sense of accomplishment I felt for a job well done. But I wouldn't go back for a million dollars. Retirement is like recess, only the bell never rings. I love it!
Bayareafour, I agree with you on all counts, although I would suggest that volunteering gives you the companionship and the sense of accomplishment of which you speak, while still retaining the privileges of retirement. I can set my own schedule, sleep in, reserve days off and take long lunch breaks. I have more time for exercise, reading, music and sharing my parents' final years. My pension does not tie me to a particular geographic location, as did my paycheck. At the same time, I can choose a few volunteer projects that I know are useful, exercise my brain and creativity, and give me stimulating company. Probably more stimulating than my office gang, simply because it's a more varied group of people.
In my work setting, there was always competition and an edge of anxiety. Yes, this kept life exciting and the adrenalin rush is heady stuff. It also gets exhausting and nerve-wracking. Volunteering gives you enough of the heady rush to accomplish a project without that competitive and anxious edge.
I enjoyed many aspects of my job, but working for a paycheck inevitably involves the loss of the freedoms I enumerate above. Plus you can plan your volunteer work time and/or location to miss out on rush-hour traffic! Escort rider, wouldn't you agree that even for someone who loves their job, it is possible in retirement to get similar rewards from volunteer work, and at the same time bestow upon yourself and your life many delightful new freedoms? And that perhaps the best of both worlds is that we had that, but now we have this.
Bayareafour, I agree with you on all counts, although I would suggest that volunteering gives you the companionship and the sense of accomplishment of which you speak, while still retaining the privileges of retirement. I can set my own schedule, sleep in, reserve days off and take long lunch breaks. I have more time for exercise, reading, music and sharing my parents' final years. My pension does not tie me to a particular geographic location, as did my paycheck. At the same time, I can choose a few volunteer projects that I know are useful, exercise my brain and creativity, and give me stimulating company. Probably more stimulating than my office gang, simply because it's a more varied group of people.
In my work setting, there was always competition and an edge of anxiety. Yes, this kept life exciting and the adrenalin rush is heady stuff. It also gets exhausting and nerve-wracking. Volunteering gives you enough of the heady rush to accomplish a project without that competitive and anxious edge.
I enjoyed many aspects of my job, but working for a paycheck inevitably involves the loss of the freedoms I enumerate above. Plus you can plan your volunteer work time and/or location to miss out on rush-hour traffic! Escort rider, wouldn't you agree that even for someone who loves their job, it is possible in retirement to get similar rewards from volunteer work, and at the same time bestow upon yourself and your life many delightful new freedoms? And that perhaps the best of both worlds is that we had that, but now we have this.
That is the only thing I miss, going home with a smile on my face because I was able to help someone that day.
I enjoyed many aspects of my job, but working for a paycheck inevitably involves the loss of the freedoms I enumerate above. Plus you can plan your volunteer work time and/or location to miss out on rush-hour traffic! Escort rider, wouldn't you agree that even for someone who loves their job, it is possible in retirement to get similar rewards from volunteer work, and at the same time bestow upon yourself and your life many delightful new freedoms? And that perhaps the best of both worlds is that we had that, but now we have this.
Yes, I do agree! The trick is finding volunteer work which is satisfying and fulfilling. You and I have apparently done so, but it may not be obvious to many people what sort of activity suits their talents, desires, and previous experiences. One may have to look around and try some things, realizing that one may take some wrong turns and hit some pot holes along the way. Some volunteer work is of the mundane, envelope-licking variety (lacking in mental challenge), but even then there may be real companionship involved, and the satisfaction of doing good.
I am fortunate indeed to have happened onto what I do almost by accident, as a natural outgrowth and continuation of my career job.
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What do you miss from your working career?
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