Retirement Bonus...Leaving bad people behind

[Redbugdave]

I have been retired a little over three years now...the Class of 2014. I am still constantly aware of how great it is to not have all those bad people from work in my life anymore. You know the type...the malcontents, gossipers, hypochondriacs, smoozers, parasites, and such. I no longer have those bad people in my life! That's one of the best things about being retired. I am now surrounded by people of my own choosing all the time and it is really nice. Now, every day is a sunny day! Have you guys noticed that after being retired, too?

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Took me a while. Maybe 5 minutes or so.

 

[CaptTom]

I actually miss most of the folks I used to w*rk with. I don't miss the office politics, or the crazy MegaCorp rules, or the constant cutbacks in budgets and health care benefits, or the constant increases in "expected" free overtime by salaried employees.

I think we all fall into gossiping or complaining when at w*rk. I'm trying to wean myself of those habits, which is why I fight the urge to post on the threads about gripes or pet peeves. Although admittedly, if you search, you'll find I've broken my own rules a few times here

I can't avoid becoming an old guy, but I can try not to become a grumpy old guy!

 

[Danmar]

Been almost 11 years for me. I'm way over the work thing. Really only think about how it was while on this site. Some advice? Move on.

 

[Scuba]

It's been 7 months for me and it has surprised me how little I think about my former work life. While I was w*rking, I was very engaged in my career, but I've had no trouble moving on. I've talked with or had lunch with a few former colleagues, but have found I really don't like hearing about what's going on there now. It's not part of my life any more and I especially don't enjoy hearing about negativity there.

 

[athena53]

I worked with a lot of great people over the years- just got back from a meeting of my professional society in Toronto and had a great time reconnecting and attending only the sessions I wanted since I was on my own dime and didn't need continuing ed.

I did leave my last job due to toxic politics- fortunately none of the "toxics" was in Toronto. I also compete in the local corporate athletics competition for my employer before that- I have a mile run and 1/4- mile run next week. I hear about how HQ in Switzerland is pretty much trying to empty out the local office in favor of Switzerland or Westchester County, which is WAY more expensive than this area. One former colleague posted on FB that she just left after 20 years. She never said where she was going but said we'd catch up at the track meet. I think I know what her story will be.

It was a good career and an interesting business but these encounters do make me count my blessings.

 

[Ready]

I always enjoyed the company of my coworkers and industry colleagues. I still engage with them since I'm still in the industry part time and I still enjoy the interactions. Many have become good friends.

 

[Fedup]

Not in my conscious anymore, but I wouldn't call them bad people.

 

[scrabbler1]

I worked with basically good people. Most of them I had no desire to hang out with outside the office, but I do have a few I keep in touch with. Of those few, some of them I met with outside the office, as I would call them friends.


What I was most happy to be rid of was the commute, something I am endlessly reminded of when I see how the Long Island Rail Road has nearly daily problems going into and out of Penn Station, my destination on the LIRR but not my final destination (Jersey City, New Jersey), which would make my commute even more miserable.

 

[John Galt III]

Oh God, yes!

 

[audreyh1]

I have been retired a little over three years now...the Class of 2014. I am still constantly aware of how great it is to not have all those bad people from work in my life anymore. You know the type...the malcontents, gossipers, hypochondriacs, smoozers, parasites, and such. I no longer have those bad people in my life! That's one of the best things about being retired. I am now surrounded by people of my own choosing all the time and it is really nice. Now, every day is a sunny day! Have you guys noticed that after being retired, too?

For sure, although there really were few malcontents at my work, and while there was office politics, as there is in any organization, it was never malicious. I think for me it was mostly no longer having to be "on performance", acting motivated, handling different bosses, managing people, meetings etc.

That was all quickly forgotten.

I think what I relished the most was no longer having to commute!!! I think that celebration lasted a few years.

 

[razztazz]

Before I left the building

 

[euro]

Been almost 11 years for me. I'm way over the work thing. Really only think about how it was while on this site. Some advice? Move on.

I'm only on my 2nd year of ER, but I almost never look back. I had a good job with generally reasonable people and didn't leave because I "just couldn't stand it anymore", but simply because I was at the point where I could afford to retire, and since nobody knows how many years they have left on the clock, I decided to leave and write my own script. Smooth transition, absolutely no regrets, but also no undue "shackles coming off". Just enjoying the ride

 

[euro]

I think what I relished the most was no longer having to commute!!! I think that celebration lasted a few years.

Oh yes, I forgot about the commute!!!! (well, there you go: I've DEFINITELY moved on )

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Retirees from my former w*rkplace have had an "alumni" group for many years -- in fact, the group is having a mixer next week. There's usually four such events a year. I don't attend them often, but I will go to the upcoming one. When I took part in a similar event shortly after retiring nearly four years ago, about 100 people were there.

I've counted myself fortunate in having a career that I shared with interesting people and one that enabled me to speak my mind more or less freely. (While knowing the times when I should keep my mouth shut!) I'm looking forward to catching up with old friendships.

 

[Bestwifeever]

For sure, although there really were few malcontents at my work, and while there was office politics, as there is in any organization, it was never malicious. I think for me it was mostly no longer having to be "on performance", acting motivated, handling different bosses, managing people, meetingsx etc....

Yes! I was really happy to shed all my work personae (which varied, depending on the person I was dealing with). Nothing to do with "bad people" in general.

 

[scrabbler1]

I think what I relished the most was no longer having to commute!!! I think that celebration lasted a few years.

As I wrote, I'm still celebrating the elimination of the commute! Every time I see a LIRR train or hear a transit report on the radio or TV, or hear about the LIRR or PATH fares going up again (I'd be paying $27 per trip if I were still working 2 days a week), I tell myself, "I am SOOOOOO glad I don't have to deal with that crappola any more!"

 

[Walt34]

I was apparently lucky with the people I worked with. While there was of course some griping, generally I worked with a good group of people and didn't have any really "toxic" ones that I read about here. A few were definitely "half a bubble off center" but they were good folks.

 

[Bamaman]

Now if I could rid myself of the malcontents, gossipers, hypochondriacs, smoozers, parasites we call my family.

 

[aja8888]

Now if I could rid myself of the malcontents, gossipers, hypochondriacs, smoozers, parasites we call my family.

I hear you there.

The folks I worked with for over 30 years were much easier to be around. I really don't have any memories of work people that were hard to deal with or "toxic"(?).

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

I miss my old work gang terribly. The problem was i was the last man standing already. I went to a 30 year reunion with the old gang. All white hair, bald, round bellies, too many were already gone , i made a toast that if work was still like this i would have never left, but my generation was all but gone. I left that Reunion very melancholy.

 

[ABQ2015]

Although I've worked in the same location for my 30 year plus career, my co-workers tended to change every five years due to transfers to another organization or major reorganizations. About half the time, the groups were toxic and I was glad to leave them behind. There were also many older retired in place employees and other parasites who increased the work load for others and thankfully, they are now mostly gone and we have hired some good replacements.

My current co-workers are a great bunch and I will miss them. We used to have an "alumni" organization but it has been disbanded. Otherwise I would join it. My co-workers are primarily married men with families and I'm a single female so we don't hang out but I would like to keep in touch with a few of them.

 

[Onward]

I really don't have any memories of work people that were hard to deal with or "toxic"

And what planet are you from?

 

[Scuba]

Now if I could rid myself of the malcontents, gossipers, hypochondriacs, smoozers, parasites we call my family.

[emoji23]

 

[aja8888]

And what planet are you from?

I was with a small, but very successful consulting firm of industry-experienced engineers. We worked exclusively for industry (absolutely refused any government work). We started the business in 1985 with a handful of partners. To this day, three of six partners have retired and there have been less than 10 newcomers (very selectively picked).

In companies like this, you eat what you kill and the firm MUST build a solid client base or it dies quickly. This is very different than the vast numbers of people here who were in IT and wrote code in a cubicle all day in a big firm or were working for a government agency that has no concept of business fundamentals.