Tweet
So, the effect of the coronavirus has finally pushed me into retirement, albeit a little earlier this year than I had planned.
My California based employer decided to not renew my contract as part of a massive downsizing program after being hit especially hard by the effects of this pandemic. Fully understandable since in order to fulfill my role as a global quality manager I need to be able to frequently travel internationally, something which looks like being out of the question for at least 3 - 4 months and maybe longer. I will be parting on the best of terms and hold no rancor over their decision to let me go.
As I start to look back at 54 years of employment since I started work as an incredibly shy and introverted 16 years old junior laboratory assistant in a local ceramic tableware factory in the UK the one thing that I can say for sure about my career is that its been interesting, always challenging and I've never stopped learning new things and rarely been bored with my work. Its been at times a crazy roller coaster ride containing a high number of high spots along with a few very low ones and the one thing I know for sure is that for the most part its been an incredible experience.
When I officially finish my current job on April 15th, coincidentally my 70th birthday I guess my first thought will be ' 'Sh*t, I'm finally retired! Now what?
'
One thing I am sure I won't be doing is dragging a rocking chair out onto my small patio to spend the day lazing in the sun. I've got too many things buzzing around in my gray matter vying to occupy my time, and if I do run short of ideas my darling wife has a to do list as long as my arm that she has been begging me to take care of for years.
Highest task on the agenda will be to give Norma some relief dealing with some of the household chores once she gets back to work including taking over control of our kitchen. Its been a good while since I threw away my cook's apron during which time Norma's culinary skills have improved dramatically but I'm looking forward to creating some different dishes. No, no fried scorpions, baked maguey grubs, roasted water snake and squirrels, porcupine stew and stir-fried sliced bull's penis, which have all cropped up during my travels over the past few years!
Hot on the heels of this is the necessity to cleanup and throw out loads of stuff I've been hoarding for years starting with attacking my workshop and outdoor storage room and moving on to cupboards full of boxes of personal items which haven't seen the light of day for not just years but decades!. On this last point I remember the words of a very good artist craft-person friend of mine who passed away a few years back. He lived a somewhat minimalist life style and his philosophy was that if something stays in a sealed box for more than 6 months then you don't really need it and you should get rid! I don't thing I can fully subscribe to his way of thinking but I can probably meet him halfway.
At the same time I'll be seriously thinking of ways to bring in some money during my retirement to fund a few bucket list wishes I want to tick off before I part company with this world. These include; buying and converting an older property to turn into student living accommodation to rent out to fund our son's university education over the next 3 - 4 years; opening up my woodshop as a small home based carpentry business to design and sell small novelty items with a modern look such as shelving, storage units, picture frames, coffee tables, collapsible chairs and the like, possibly combining ceramic tiles into some of the designs; and continuing to offer my career based services as a on-line phone in freelance consultant. On top of this I want to be able to take some time out adventuring and touring on my newly purchased dual sport motorbike and at the same further develop and improve my photography skills.
This is pretty big hit list of ideas but the most important aspect of all of these ventures is to keep my brain active, give me new challenges and, above all, thoroughly enjoy what I am doing for as long as I am able to do so.
One plus point to my situation is that I'll finally be able to spend more time visiting this forum and renewing acquaintances with old friends and hopefully meeting some new ones. So folks be prepared for a few 'War and Peace' novel style posts written with a good dose of black humor. I may even get to post some scroll saw projects! 😉
Wish me luck!
Jim in Mexico
My California based employer decided to not renew my contract as part of a massive downsizing program after being hit especially hard by the effects of this pandemic. Fully understandable since in order to fulfill my role as a global quality manager I need to be able to frequently travel internationally, something which looks like being out of the question for at least 3 - 4 months and maybe longer. I will be parting on the best of terms and hold no rancor over their decision to let me go.
As I start to look back at 54 years of employment since I started work as an incredibly shy and introverted 16 years old junior laboratory assistant in a local ceramic tableware factory in the UK the one thing that I can say for sure about my career is that its been interesting, always challenging and I've never stopped learning new things and rarely been bored with my work. Its been at times a crazy roller coaster ride containing a high number of high spots along with a few very low ones and the one thing I know for sure is that for the most part its been an incredible experience.
When I officially finish my current job on April 15th, coincidentally my 70th birthday I guess my first thought will be ' 'Sh*t, I'm finally retired! Now what?
'
One thing I am sure I won't be doing is dragging a rocking chair out onto my small patio to spend the day lazing in the sun. I've got too many things buzzing around in my gray matter vying to occupy my time, and if I do run short of ideas my darling wife has a to do list as long as my arm that she has been begging me to take care of for years.
Highest task on the agenda will be to give Norma some relief dealing with some of the household chores once she gets back to work including taking over control of our kitchen. Its been a good while since I threw away my cook's apron during which time Norma's culinary skills have improved dramatically but I'm looking forward to creating some different dishes. No, no fried scorpions, baked maguey grubs, roasted water snake and squirrels, porcupine stew and stir-fried sliced bull's penis, which have all cropped up during my travels over the past few years!
Hot on the heels of this is the necessity to cleanup and throw out loads of stuff I've been hoarding for years starting with attacking my workshop and outdoor storage room and moving on to cupboards full of boxes of personal items which haven't seen the light of day for not just years but decades!. On this last point I remember the words of a very good artist craft-person friend of mine who passed away a few years back. He lived a somewhat minimalist life style and his philosophy was that if something stays in a sealed box for more than 6 months then you don't really need it and you should get rid! I don't thing I can fully subscribe to his way of thinking but I can probably meet him halfway.
At the same time I'll be seriously thinking of ways to bring in some money during my retirement to fund a few bucket list wishes I want to tick off before I part company with this world. These include; buying and converting an older property to turn into student living accommodation to rent out to fund our son's university education over the next 3 - 4 years; opening up my woodshop as a small home based carpentry business to design and sell small novelty items with a modern look such as shelving, storage units, picture frames, coffee tables, collapsible chairs and the like, possibly combining ceramic tiles into some of the designs; and continuing to offer my career based services as a on-line phone in freelance consultant. On top of this I want to be able to take some time out adventuring and touring on my newly purchased dual sport motorbike and at the same further develop and improve my photography skills.
This is pretty big hit list of ideas but the most important aspect of all of these ventures is to keep my brain active, give me new challenges and, above all, thoroughly enjoy what I am doing for as long as I am able to do so.
One plus point to my situation is that I'll finally be able to spend more time visiting this forum and renewing acquaintances with old friends and hopefully meeting some new ones. So folks be prepared for a few 'War and Peace' novel style posts written with a good dose of black humor. I may even get to post some scroll saw projects! 😉
Wish me luck!
Jim in Mexico
Once this is done I intend to get back into some scrollsaw work and find out just how capable I am in following pattern lines since I lost my left eye last year. Issues with close up depth of vision continue to challenge me but I am confident I'll work around this and if not at least I'll have a darn good excuse for not cutting as accurately as most on this forum! 
Comment