Got an email from former co-w*rkers

[easysurfer]

When I FIRE'd a couple of years ago, I turned a chapter in my life and w*rk life was in the rear view mirror.

Today, is my birthday. Upon checking my email, I received an email from my former co-w*rkers. It sad nothing more than "Happy Birthday".

I'm undecided, do I just ignore the email and move on? Or do I courteusly reply and say 'thank you' for the birthday wish.

I'm I reading more into the email, thinking the email may be more than just a birthday wish?

Wondering if others have had a similar situation and what came about an email from former co-w*rkers.

 

[Dawg52]

When I FIRE'd a couple of years ago, I turned a chapter in my life and w*rk life was in the rear view mirror.

Today, is my birthday. Upon checking my email, I received an email from my former co-w*rkers. It sad nothing more than "Happy Birthday".

I'm undecided, do I just ignore the email and move on? Or do I courteusly reply and say 'thank you' for the birthday wish.

I'm I reading more into the email, thinking the email may be more than just a birthday wish?

Wondering if others have had a similar situation and what came about an email from former co-w*rkers.

I got an email just today from an old co-worker asking how things are. I replied asking when did he plan to retire. He's 59 and said he plans to work until 67-70.

I would just reply saying 'thank you' and nothing more.

 

[bbbamI]

I'd reply 'thank you' and add one of these ----->

btw....Happy Birthday!

 

[W2R]

I would just reply saying 'thank you' and nothing more.

Me, too.

 

[tmm99]

Me, too.

Me three.

I'm I reading more into the email, thinking the email may be more than just a birthday wish?

What do you mean?? I am not retired yet, and I don't know this person who sent you the bday wish, so I am kind of wondering why you would think this may be something more than a bday wish? What else could it be?

I recently sent my former co-worker a bday wish. We used to do stuff but we kind of lost touch. She never responded to my bday wish, and I was kind of hurt about that.

 

[crazy connie]

The person who sent it may just be hoping you have the basis for a friendship. It can be nice to have another friend or two in life. Respond if you liked the individual who sent it and see where it leads or play recluse and ignore it the choice is yours.

 

[easysurfer]

Me three.



What do you mean?? I am not retired yet, and I don't know this person who sent you the bday wish, so I am kind of wondering why you would think this may be something more than a bday wish? What else could it be?

I recently sent my former co-worker a bday wish. We used to do stuff but we kind of lost touch. She never responded to my bday wish, and I was kind of hurt about that.

What else could it be? It could be a birthday wish, and then a "oh, by the way, a technical question, something that you worked on back a couple of years ago while on the job.." Does that seem too far fetched?

 

[easysurfer]

I'd reply 'thank you' and add one of these ----->

btw....Happy Birthday!

Funny.about adding one of those..

Thanks for the bday wish

 

[bbbamI]

What else could it be? It could be a birthday wish, and then a "oh, by the way, a technical question, something that you worked on back a couple of years ago while on the job.." Does that seem too far fetched?

I dunno, has this person tried this before? If not, send a 'gracias' and feel the warm fuzzies that someone remembered to send you a b.d. greeting.

Funny.about adding one of those..

Thanks for the bday wish

You're welcome.

 

[traineeinvestor]

My response would depend on whether I liked the person and whether I was interested in keeping in touch. If "yes" to either I would send a reply which reciprocated those feelings.

Of course, if I didn't like the person, I'd write a short e-mail about how great ER is and how much fun I am having....

 

[haha]

I'm undecided, do I just ignore the email and move on?

Sure, if one of your former co-workers was a lover with stalker tendencies. Otherwise, why not be friendly?

Ha

 

[easysurfer]

The relationship I have with former co-w*rkers is just that...former co-w*rkers.

Anyhow, I went ahead and decided to politely reply (or "take the bait"). We shall see. I just pretty much said to everyone on the list "Thank you. It was nice of them to remember me.....p.s. I very much enjoy that for me everyday is Saturday."

Thanks to everyone who replied with their sage advice.

Also, if you haven't replied yet, feel free to...

 

[Sarah in SC]

I am secretly hoping it is a former co-worker with stalker tendencies rather than someone who wants to pick your brain about a technical problem!

 

[youbet]

It sounds like you answered your own question. If the folks you worked with were strictly "former co-w*rkers," then you did the right thing by answering their birthday greetings email with a message as brief and simple as was sent to you.

In my own case, a number of my former work pals are now retirement pals and we get together 2 - 3 times per year socially. 4 or 5 couples getting together for cocktails, dinner and entertainment and that sort of thing. And I'm in touch with a few others still back at Mega-Corp pulling the plow. If I can help them in any way, I'm always more than glad to. They were helpful to me and I haven't forgotten.

40 months into RE, I'm thankful I have few negative feelings towards former employers or work associates. Life is too short to spend it with bitter memories or obcessing over imagined conspiracies.

Enjoy your retirement!

 

[easysurfer]

I am secretly hoping it is a former co-worker with stalker tendencies rather than someone who wants to pick your brain about a technical problem!

Of course, if someone wants to pick my brain now, guess I can always say, since FIRE'd, my brain is pretty empty with old w*rk stuff. Heck, I think everyday is Saturday

 

[easysurfer]

It sounds like you answered your own question. If the folks you worked with were strictly "former co-w*rkers," then you did the right thing by answering their birthday greetings email with a message as brief and simple as was sent to you.

In my own case, a number of my former work pals are now retirement pals and we get together 2 - 3 times per year socially. 4 or 5 couples getting together for cocktails, dinner and entertainment and that sort of thing. And I'm in touch with a few others still back at Mega-Corp pulling the plow. If I can help them in any way, I'm always more than glad to. They were helpful to me and I haven't forgotten.

40 months into RE, I'm thankful I have few negative feelings towards former employers or work associates. Life is too short to spend it with bitter memories or obcessing over imagined conspiracies.

Enjoy your retirement!

Great point, I think if they too were FIRE'd or contemplating being FIRE'd, I'd be happy to socialize or offer advice. But what I have in common is that at one time we worked hard together, ups and downs, but that was a previous chapter for me. When I FIRE'd and walked out the office for the final time, I mentally turned over that page in my life.

 

[CuppaJoe]

....
Today, is my birthday. Upon checking my email, I received an email from my former co-w*rkers. It sad nothing more than "Happy Birthday".

....

Exactly who sent it and who signed it? During my w*rking days, the lowest person on the totem pole had the birthday calendar. If it came from one of those places, I would wonder if it was sent by a clueless new hire. They didn't send one last year?

I probably would sent a chatty note regardless of what I think of them, especially since I retired from that j*b with nice bennies.

Happy Birthday, easysurfer.

 

[Westernskies]

You could just respond with a thank you, and a short note about how nice it is to be retired and fondly remembered by your former coworkers.

If you wanted to have some fun, you could always embellish it a bit..

" We appreciate the invitation to the potluck, but the spouse and I have been busy of late, polishing the teak on the new yacht before shutting down the lake house for the season.. We got a late start his year because our trip to Alaska in the new Class A diesel motorhome took up most of our summer. It is always a great trip, but this year we decided to cut it short and fly out of the Yukon so we could watch our grandson graduate at the top of his class at Oxford and make a quick climb of Mt Kilamajaro on the way home from our annual African safari..."

 

[Trek]

Ignore it. It's been years, how do they know you have the same email and even received it? You've resolved to leave that life and those people behind, so stand your ground. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

 

[target2019]

I struck up a friendship with a co-worker, who left for a better job several months ago. We exchanged a few pleasant emails. I recently received a request from him, also blasted to about 50 other addressees for his church.

Happy Birthday would have been fine!

In your situation, who knows? Maybe they genuinely miss you. Maybe they have other motives.

 

[WhoDaresWins]

You could just respond with a thank you, and a short note about how nice it is to be retired and fondly remembered by your former coworkers.

If you wanted to have some fun, you could always embellish it a bit..

" We appreciate the invitation to the potluck, but the spouse and I have been busy of late, polishing the teak on the new yacht before shutting down the lake house for the season.. We got a late start his year because our trip to Alaska in the new Class A diesel motorhome took up most of our summer. It is always a great trip, but this year we decided to cut it short and fly out of the Yukon so we could watch our grandson graduate at the top of his class at Oxford and make a quick climb of Mt Kilamajaro on the way home from our annual African safari..."

The part in quotations above sounds like some of the Christmas newsletters I get from far flung friends.

 

[donheff]

This is like a Rorschach test of our relations to former co-workers. How could any of us know how you should react if we don't know more about your relationship with the person who wrote you? I still see former employees/coworkers and get/send Bday cards. So I think fondly of former work acquaintances and would respond positively if one I hadn't heard from in a long time contacted me. If you left with hard feelings and never liked the person..., well, you decide.

 

[bbbamI]

What else could it be? It could be a birthday wish, and then a "oh, by the way, a technical question, something that you worked on back a couple of years ago while on the job.." Does that seem too far fetched?

If this does happen, pull a Steve Martin on them....."I forgot!"

 

[Rambler]

Just a quick "thanks for the birthday wish" would be your best bet. My birthday was 4 days ago, and I got a couple dozen "happy birthdays" by email. Some of them were folks that had left the company years ago, a few from close friends, one from my TA at the university where I am a visiting professor, one from a former employee I would prefer to forget...etc. Some were very genuine, others it seemed were programed into outlook as a tickler to remind them to send me one (or as a repeating automatic email every November 1. I am trying to reply kindly to all of them. Even though I would never plan to go out or keep company with any of these post FIRE, I also feel that burning bridges is not a wise thing to do (except for nasty people who you will not in your wildest dream ever meet again).

my two cents...worth just about that.

R

 

[lemming]

Maybe the email was really from Bill Gates. You can set up reminders and it automaticaly sends from Outlook Maybe they just did not remember to cull old contacts.

If you liked/disliked the sender reply and say how great the weather was on a Tuesday when you were out.