Cujet
Recycles dryer sheets
Just discovered this forum, glad to be here! I hope it can help me succeed in retirement, and who knows, possibly I can help others. I hope my first post here will be interesting.
I retired May 02, 2024 at age 60 from a very high end corporate flight department. While I had planned on working longer, the catalyst for early retirement was the 'withdrawal' of a promised substantial bonus. The typical Golden handcuff promise, stay 7 years and comply with various requirements and the big bonus is yours when the time comes. The time came, and I was informed that I will not be receiving the bonus. I then simply said "well, it feels good to be retired" smiled with relief, and walked out of the meeting. Which looking back, may not have been a perfectly clear way to resign. I was left alone and packed up my substantial belongings from the hangar/office, loaded up a moving van, left my workspace spotless and clean, and departed for home by 7PM.
In reality the details don't matter. I have significant and unusual health issues. Which reduced my performance at work. While I felt badly that I could not perform like a younger employee, I compensated by working longer hours, often to 11PM. It was clear by this point that my direct boss, and my company would do nothing to make my work-life easier. They in fact deliberately made my tasks more difficult. It was long past time to go. A big clue was no raise in 14 years. The promised bonus was the only thing keeping me there.
Health concerns. I have autoimmune issues resulting from severe Epstein Barr virus at age 33. Hashimoto's (complete thyroid failure), MCTD (it is like Lupus) and Mysathenia Gravis (muscle/nerve interface failure) along with complete secondary adrenal failure. While treatable, it is a roller coaster ride of severe fatigue and sudden weakness.
So I find myself at home with plenty of unfinished tasks and plenty to do. My stress level evaporated the instant I retired, and that part has been Glorious. However, my health has not improved. Treatments that were working, are no longer as effective and more internal damage is being done by evil antibodies. At least I now have the time to address them. I purchased marketplace health insurance and joined a gym.
I don't expect my lifespan will be super long, there is no cure and while immune suppressants can solve or slow the internal organ destruction, they carry significant infection risk for complex cases like mine. A man my age with MCTD (high RNP antibodies) treated with immune suppressants, was doing very well until he got a minor cut on his leg doing yard work. He did not survive.
Chris
I retired May 02, 2024 at age 60 from a very high end corporate flight department. While I had planned on working longer, the catalyst for early retirement was the 'withdrawal' of a promised substantial bonus. The typical Golden handcuff promise, stay 7 years and comply with various requirements and the big bonus is yours when the time comes. The time came, and I was informed that I will not be receiving the bonus. I then simply said "well, it feels good to be retired" smiled with relief, and walked out of the meeting. Which looking back, may not have been a perfectly clear way to resign. I was left alone and packed up my substantial belongings from the hangar/office, loaded up a moving van, left my workspace spotless and clean, and departed for home by 7PM.
In reality the details don't matter. I have significant and unusual health issues. Which reduced my performance at work. While I felt badly that I could not perform like a younger employee, I compensated by working longer hours, often to 11PM. It was clear by this point that my direct boss, and my company would do nothing to make my work-life easier. They in fact deliberately made my tasks more difficult. It was long past time to go. A big clue was no raise in 14 years. The promised bonus was the only thing keeping me there.
Health concerns. I have autoimmune issues resulting from severe Epstein Barr virus at age 33. Hashimoto's (complete thyroid failure), MCTD (it is like Lupus) and Mysathenia Gravis (muscle/nerve interface failure) along with complete secondary adrenal failure. While treatable, it is a roller coaster ride of severe fatigue and sudden weakness.
So I find myself at home with plenty of unfinished tasks and plenty to do. My stress level evaporated the instant I retired, and that part has been Glorious. However, my health has not improved. Treatments that were working, are no longer as effective and more internal damage is being done by evil antibodies. At least I now have the time to address them. I purchased marketplace health insurance and joined a gym.
I don't expect my lifespan will be super long, there is no cure and while immune suppressants can solve or slow the internal organ destruction, they carry significant infection risk for complex cases like mine. A man my age with MCTD (high RNP antibodies) treated with immune suppressants, was doing very well until he got a minor cut on his leg doing yard work. He did not survive.
Chris
