Visited My Old Office Today

[flyfishnevada]

I had to go back to my old workplace to collect my fantasy football winnings today. Kind of surreal. I visited my old office and found out one guy suddenly announced his retirement (got an offer for a post retirement job...whatever) and another relocated. Saw my ex-boss. Still don't like him.

I asked about old projects and learned that life went on without me, which I already knew. Projects I started are finished or progressing nicely. Kind of divorced from all that now, but still nice to hear that something you worked on is going well and bringing some value to the world.

Then I went across the hall and visited some friends. As I sat in the office, it all got very familiar, I had a flash back and suddenly felt very claustrophobic. I was happy to leave the place. I feel dirty now. I need a shower or something.

 

[Khan]

I had to go back to my old workplace to collect my fantasy football winnings today. Kind of surreal. I visited my old office and found out one guy suddenly announced his retirement (got an offer for a post retirement job...whatever) and another relocated. Saw my ex-boss. Still don't like him.

I asked about old projects and learned that life went on without me, which I already knew. Projects I started are finished or progressing nicely. Kind of divorced from all that now, but still nice to hear that something you worked on is going well and bringing some value to the world.

Then I went across the hall and visited some friends. As I sat in the office, it all got very familiar, I had a flash back and suddenly felt very claustrophobic. I was happy to leave the place. I feel dirty now. I need a shower or something.

Been more than 6 years and I've never been back.

 

[bbbamI]

Visited My Old Office Today

I bet I know what you'll be dreamin' about tonight...

 

[haha]

Visited My Old Office Today

I bet I know what you'll be dreamin' about tonight...

That cute gal in the cubicle that used to be next to his?

Ha

 

[bbbamI]

That cute gal in the cubicle that used to be next to his?

Ha

ooooooo....could be....

 

[scrabbler1]

With the awful commute I had to my old office, I have ZERO desire to make another trip there ever.

I di stay in touch with a few people I was friends with, but it is not often. Seems like a different lifetime/universe ago when I was there.

 

[Glo]

Been retired 4-1/2 years and have never gone back; don't miss it at all!

 

[Achiever51]

Walked out of MegaCorp at 1:30 pm on Friday, June 29, 2001...and never looked back!

 

[freebird5825]

Coming up on 4 years on April 1...

I attended a few off-site Christmas parties for the first 3 years, and relished the separation from the still-w*rking crowd. I saw a lot of good folks who were still w*rking and retired, so it was worth going.
I used to faithfully go to weekly Chinese buffet with a small but very good group of folks. I am finding I am really not interested in listening to w*rkplace news at all. So I go approx twice a month just to say hello.
I have no contact otherwise.

 

[Westernskies]

The bigger question is: Why?

 

[bruce1]

I go to the retirement and Christmas parties as much to visit with and catch up with the other retirees as anything. Two or three times a year I will go to lunch with a former coworker who is still there.

 

[Walt34]

I've been back there a few times, although not recently, and maintain membership in the alumni association. There is a monthly breakfast gathering usually attended by ~20-40 depending on weather and I've been to a few of those, but it's an hour and half drive so not often. And the annual dinner I haven't missed yet, it's mostly a fun time, but there is a remembrance ceremony for those who died in service.

And it is kind of neat to see what the others are doing in retirement. Most get other jobs (there are a lot of "type A" people in that group) and a few just kick back and go fishing or get an RV.

But really what it boils down to is a survivor's club.

 

[Danmar]

Been to a few retirement parties but these have petered out. I had lunch with my successor a couple of weeks ago. I was her mentor and she still seems to value contact. I guess that's good. Have set up a lunch with 3 cronies I worked with who retired around the same time as I. Looking forward to that. How soon we are forgotten.

 

[rescueme]

Retirement date: May 1, 2007
Office shutdown announced: May 1, 2008
Section shutdown (where I "resided"): May 1, 2009

Can't (nor have a desire) to "go back" - it ain't there anymore ...

 

[flyfishnevada]

That cute gal in the cubicle that used to be next to his?

Ha

I was not that lucky. All men in my office.

Been more than 6 years and I've never been back.

The bigger question is: Why?

I won $175, that's why! Otherwise, I wouldn't have gone and don't plan to do it again.

 

[chinaco]

I had to go back to my old workplace ...

I asked about old projects and learned that life went on without me, which I already knew. Projects I started are finished or progressing nicely. Kind of divorced from all that now, but still nice to hear that something you worked on is going well and bringing some value to the world.

...

The key part of the statement is "without me"...

No one is irreplaceable... but it is sure nice to in a position to FIRE and be replaced!

[voice from above] Thy life sentence is commuted!

 

[martyp]

I went back to my old work site last week. The first time since I left last December. I was dropping off some old management books to give to a former workmate. We talked for a while and I said hello to a few other people. It was useful to me to assure myself that I had no regrets about ER. I've been to lunch offsite 2x now with friends from work. I plan to keep on doing this until I'm no longer interested or there isn't anyone left to see.

 

[JOHNNIE36]

Retirement date was 5-1-88. Back off six weeks vacation earned and last day of work was actually March 15, 1988. Twenty three years ago tomorrow. Never looked back and never went back.

 

[pb4uski]

The key part of the statement is "without me"...

No one is irreplaceable... but it is sure nice to in a position to FIRE and be replaced!

For a while I though I was indispensible. Then I started taking 2 or 3 week vacations (rather than days here and there or a week as I typically had). I learned two things:

1) the longer vacations were much better because it takes almost a week for me to "unplug" and

2) when I returned I discovered that things were moving along smoothly, in fact arguably better than when I was around. Luckily I had two outstanding people who worked for me so things didn't miss a beat when I was out.

 

[DFA]

For a while I though I was indispensible. Then I started taking 2 or 3 week vacations (rather than days here and there or a week as I typically had). I learned two things:

1) the longer vacations were much better because it takes almost a week for me to "unplug" and

2) when I returned I discovered that things were moving along smoothly, in fact arguably better than when I was around. Luckily I had two outstanding people who worked for me so things didn't miss a beat when I was out.

Didn't this worry you that you could be replaced or that things ran smoothly without you that maybe the boss would feel that you were no longer needed and you could get laid off/fired (not the good kind) not at a time of your choosing?

 

[rescueme]

For a while I though I was indispensible.

Didn't we all (as related to our j*bs)?

Life goes on and will do so well after we have turned to dust. It's a bit like trying to make a "hole in water" ...

While we certainly can (and should) take pride in what we have done - not only in our respective j*bs, but also in our interactions in all areas of our life, we certainly should understand that we're only "responsible" for a small part of time, since creation.

 

[martyp]

Didn't this worry you that you could be replaced or that things ran smoothly without you that maybe the boss would feel that you were no longer needed and you could get laid off/fired (not the good kind) not at a time of your choosing?

My work experience was that organizations can go on autopilot for about a month before people start to drift off in errant directions. Eventually managers have to step in to keep people on track.