My big news is that I've retired!

After all the shock and heartache of facing redundancy (see early blog entry), here I am choosing to leave, to put that workplace I was so keen to rejoin far behind me. Funny how it all works out isn't it? I suppose it's possible that after about two months I'll be begging for work somewhere but I'll cross that bridge if I come to it, the way I crossed the post-redundancy bridge. The great thing is that I've been able to make choices, I think I'm just getting used to choosing again.

Also I've realised finally that being made redundant and having to take a pension early, isn't the worst thing in the world. Over the last 14 months I've seen a number of people hit by serious illness, and two friends have died. It all serves to remind me that I am not immortal and that I won't always be able put things off until later. Time to write that book!

What has been refreshing has been the way people have responded to the news, congratulating me and wishing me well. So many have also come up with stories that support the idea of retiring, telling me that their relative or friend retired and said "it was the best thing they did". Great to hear that after talking with an 82 year-old man two days ago, who said it was the worst thing he ever did and he would pay to be allowed to go back. I didn't pursue this by asking "how much" as I could use a gardener, I thought it might be a bit cheeky. He was just complaining, which is another skill I'm going to have to develop, happy days.

When I joined a large multinational company based in York, I though when I retired I'd be taking advantage of their dining hall, snooker rooms, afternoon dances, staff shop, gym, showers, day trips, the allotments, the staff shop and Christmas treats. How things have changed in York over those years.

Of course I do have a list of jobs already, which is wonderful (the sarcasm doesn't really come through on the written page does it) but actually I am looking forward to doing them at my leisure, rather than at a rush, which is the normal way.

My lads are taking the mickey of course, which is reassuring because I don't want too much respect as it makes me feel old.

Anyway I'm not that old, am I?