62 and retiring 12/31/12

[missedearly62]

I'm retiring the last day of 2012 at 62.5 years. Not an early retirer but betcha i'm no less happy!
Work situ: others have been seeking my responsibilities for a decade. Finally got enough pressure from boss and much younger colleagues to let them have it. Only option was to move from high profile position to one correcting a dozen peoples mistakes and omissions. And having no less than 4 people who would think they were unofficially "over" me. I was very delighted when i told them all in a meeting a couple of months ago that i was retiring. Going to be wonderful defining the pace and activities of my days. Exit interview is tomorrow. Putting my happy organizational politically correct face on in a few hours for one of the last few times!

 

[Ally]

A happy time for you! Welcome to the forum.

 

[missedearly62]

Thanks for welcomel
Lest i seem to have made or encourage rash decisions, i should add we have been tracking expenses for over two years. So we (dh and i) know where our money goes, our weaknesses, and our income. Have a small pension, soon ss, emergency funds. And investments we trust. Plenty of hobbies and interests. So spreadsheets even an activities database have been a big factor in determining if and when the leap to happily unemployed could happen.

 

[obgyn65]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Trawler]

Welcome to the class of 2012!!

 

[Chuckanut]

Congratulations. You will love it!

 

[W2R]

Welcome, and Congratulations! Despite the forum name, several of us here retired in our 60's (61.5 for me). Best decision I ever made, personally.

 

[omni550]

Welcome aboard, missedearly62. Sounds like you're all set for the best time(s) of your life.

Look forward to hearing a lot more from you.

omni
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/members/missedearly62-27180.html

 

[pb4uski]

Welcome aboard. How did that exit interview go?

 

[missedearly62]

Turned out to not be a true exit interview. Googled it last night to prep for drill. Lasted bout 15 minutes with no unpleasantries just notification of benefits that will end. As i left the room i said in response to best retirement wishes "i'm not retiring; i am engaging!"
Thats really what i feel: leaving behind the shackles of a structured paid day to an open ended one with unlimited options given a creative engaged mind.

 

[coolowl]

It sounds like a wise decision to leave now rather than spending your last year or two fighting misery. It may not have been that bad but I know three people who all spent their last bit of time at their long-held jobs being unhappy. And now whenever they think about it that's what they talk about. Not the years and years of solid work...but the way it all fizzled out at the end.

So, good choice by you. Enjoy your retirement and look back with pride on an excellent career.

 

[missedearly62]

That is a very good point!
I just found out today the president of our organization will be semi micro managing the work i would have had a big role in next year. BOY am i happy i wont be there. A bit sorry for those who wanted the changes and will now have to deal with this.

 

[travelover]

Welcome and congratulations.

A good friend of mine was going to work until he was 65, so he could have plenty of money to enjoy his retirement. He died 6 years ago this month, at age 64. Some things don't have a price tag.

 

[pb4uski]

Welcome and congratulations.

A good friend of mine was going to work until he was 65, so he could have plenty of money to enjoy his retirement. He died 6 years ago this month, at age 64. Some things don't have a price tag.

Stories like this are what prompted me to retire. Great uncle retired and died of a heart attack 6 months later. A former colleague died 6 weeks before he was to retire 9he hd already set the date). Life is too short.