Tick, Tick, Tick

I am half way through one of my last four days as an employee.  At this point I have little to no real work to do, having transitioned most everything to my managers.  My managers will likely be waiting a long time for a replacement to be named to my position so I’m glad they are such competent and conscientious people.  Of course the right thing for the company to do would be to promote one of them, but I don’t get to make those decisions.

 

As I go through this final wind-down and de-brief, I’m reminded of one of the opening scenes in the movie “About Schmidt” where Jack Nicholson, playing the about to be retired insurance actuary, is trying to give his replacement some valued files only to realize they are of no interest.  So it is, at this point, with my opinions about things.  I may be missed after my retirement, but the work world will go on without interruption.  The things I have done will continue to be done, perhaps differently, but still completed.

Tomorrow is my retirement reception.  Having just attended my husband’s two weeks ago I am fully aware of how painful and awkward such events tend to be.  A few people I have worked with in the past, who have moved on to other companies or their own retirements, will be there and it will be nice to see them.  My boss will thank me for my contributions.  I’ll have to say something (dread) and then everyone can move on to some cake and punch.  And then I will have two days left – well really one and a half since my final meeting with HR will be Friday morning.

It really is quite hard to wrap my mind around.  I’ve been working almost continuously since I went back to work after my daughter was a year old.  That’s almost 40 years of going to work everyday.  I was unemployed for three weeks somewhere in all those years and I was off once for six weeks recovering from a surgery.  I had a short stint being a remote employee who worked from a home office or traveled to clients, but even then I was getting up, getting on-line or getting to the client site.  Everyone I know who is retired says it is great and I expect that to be so.  But once those first couple of weeks of “I’m on vacation” mentality wear off I hope I am ready.