Sunday, May 1, 2011

May Day: Thoughts on Growth and Rebirth

I have been absent from the blogger boards for a few weeks for a number of reasons. My computer being at odds is a large part of it.  My husband  is still fussing over why the internet does not want to connect off our family computer. I'm typing this off my daughter's borrowed laptop.

Another part of my inattention has been my situation at work.  The city I have worked for almost 25 years is going through a massive reorganization and  has given six month notices of termination to 40% of its workforce, a move which resulted in national attention, especially when a young man committed suicide by jumping off the administration building on the day the layoff notices went out. I and my entire four-person division received notices, as well as 200 others. 

Six months is a very long period in order to prepare for our future, altho six weeks have gone by since then.  I'd been intending to retire in the next year or two anyway, my plan was to work till my last daughter finished high school next June, then retire in probably December 2012, and move to Tennessee in summer of 2012, possible work one more year to add to the pension. So you see that this just speeds up the process somewhat. As of September, I will no longer have to fight my way through 45 minutes of rush hour traffic to put in another day at the office. In fact, this will give me several months of full-time opportunity to get our home into tip-top condition for the spring real estate market.

So why am I so stressed over this?

Maybe it's the distraught attitude at work. People are shaken over the suicide, the political attitude of contempt for the employees, the prospect of being forced into one of the worst job markets in recent history.  I am very fortunate that I am able to walk away and file for retirement, not everyone has reached the qualifying age or years worked needed to apply for their pension, or do not have enough to retire with. On top of knowing that we are leaving in September, we are directed to ready the proposals for outside contractors to bid on your position. Kind of like being told you're being let go, but you have to hire the guy to replace you.

Perhaps it just the uncertainty of it all.  Leaving a year earlier means I'll get a bit less in my pension paycheck, so an untested budget will be just a bit tighter.  I had planned to work part-time in retirement, as a transitional thing, but one wants to feel they are financially secure when they head off to retirement.

Probably this is how I would have felt under any circumstances, making this large move.  I've worked full-time since I left high school, with a couple of breaks inbetween moves, so it will be an adjustment to not have that 40 hour a week commitment, with accompanying paycheck. Then there is the point of selling the family home, plus my mother-in-laws home, and moving everyone across the country. I am looking forward to this, but the mechanics of it is still rather scary.

So, I've been doing quite a bit of scheming and planning and wondering and nail biting.  Twenty more weeks to go at work, to finish up some training I'd been procrastinating on, redo a resume I might or might not send out, say goodbye to people I've worked with for decades, an office I've come in to for almost half my life.

On to the bright future.

3 comments:

crazymotheringchick said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
crazymotheringchick said...

Well, girl, I know it's upheaval, and I'm sure it's quite overwhelming. Hope the next year is as peaceful as possible, and that the adjustment is as painless as it can be. I do look forward to spending more time with you, though.

Kitchen-Dreams said...

oh my goodness! the very best of luck to you during this big life change. it is so hard to leave a job that you love and that has been a part of your life for a long time. just remember when one door closes another door opens. you will be fine. you seem like you are planning well and have a good support system. i hope you will look back and say...why didn't i do this sooner?