Independence Day – Submitting My Letter of Retirement/Resignation

This week has been THE week.  On Tuesday, I met with my principal and on Friday, I met with the Human Resources people and SUBMITTED MY RETIREMENT LETTER!  Those who have done this can attest to what a freeing experience this can be.  There comes a feeling of elation that cannot be compared to anything else.

I should know.  I’ve done this twice before.  Back in 1981 I left my first career to stay at home and take care of my two daughters.  And, in 1998, I retired from my second career and finished preparing for my transition to full-time teaching.  In each instance, that moment when you walk out that door for the last time can be extraordinarily liberating.

I still have five wonderful months remaining in the classroom.  I DO love what I do.  However, I am looking forward to changing how I interact with students by transitioning into substitute teaching without the added responsibilities of prepping, grading, parent contact, and administrative minutia.  I love to teach.  I am less fond of the other “stuff” that has complicated my professional life as an educator.

There is a lesson in all of this.  I often tell my students about their future in a world where they many have 5-6 careers before they retire.  I sometimes think that I have been a little ahead of my time.  And…best of all…the last chapter has yet to be written.

Riding the Health Insurance Merry-Go-Round

It’s not an understatement that many people my age work primarily for the health insurance.  If one goes on HealthCare.gov (one of the new benefits thanks to ObamaCare), you can select from a variety of health insurance plans once you no longer have an employer providing you with coverage.  Unfortunately, many of the options available for people my age can cost in excess of $12,000-$14,000/year (not including the deductibles).  Quite a hefty sum if one is seeking any kind of retirement (or even part-time work with no benefits).  Of course, this presumes that a retiree has not yet reached the ripe old age of 65, which is currently required for Medicare eligibility.

I am not yet Medicare-eligible.  My journey into retirement led me to explore what health insurance option(s) my own employer was willing to provide.  Thanks to little known language in my union employment contract, I have the option…at least for the moment…to purchase—at full cost—100% of my own coverage until I am Medicare-eligible.  This will save me ~$9,000/year over the cost of buying single coverage on the “open” market!  Not a bad deal by anyone’s calculations.  With the health insurance factor taken care of, I can pursue almost any creative work arrangement—with or without benefits—wherever my retirement path leads me.

My heart goes out to those who are not able to retire because of this major roadblock preventing them from achieving the next phase of their lives.  I am deeply concerned that current discussions in Congress regarding the viability of Medicare will be resolved on the backs of those of us who have paid in all of our lives so that we could enjoy our senior years without the threat of bankruptcy due to high medical costs.  Medicare is often termed an “entitlement” program, implying that recipients are getting something they haven’t earned.  Believe me, after paying into the system for 45 years, we’ve EARNED it!

Once health insurance issues are resolved, opportunities for part-time employed or volunteer retirees are wide open!

To Retire or Not to Retire…That Is The Question!

I’ve always had this “sixth sense” about when it was time to move on.  I’m not exactly sure when I came to the conclusion this time to retire from my current situation.  After all, I’ve left positions before.  However, what constitutes “retirement” has more to do with age than with simply leaving full-time employment.  Eight years in one career; sixteen years in another; and just finishing up thirteen years in my most “recent” pursuit (not to mention those 7 years of full- and part-time jobs that put me through high school and college) have all been an integral part of who and what I am today.

In all three careers I’ve loved what I was (and am) doing.  I left my first career to spend a year house-husbanding while taking care of my two young daughters.  I left my second career because of major changes in the ownership of the business (which led to major negative changes from what I was initially hired to do).  As for my current situation, I still love the kids.  However, I find myself growing increasingly weary of the extensive demands of prepping, grading and teaching four different subjects to 200+ students each semester.  I doubt that these overwhelming demands will change in the immediate future.  It’s no longer just about being a good teacher and role model for young people.  Yes…I know it is time once again for me to move on.

Given my age, my next engagement will not be so much about adopting a new career as it will be about evolving into a new phase of my life.  Some may call it retirement.  I think the term "Phase 4" is more fitting as I have yet to develop any kind of plan, ambition, or initiative toward which direction to take.  All I know is that something wonderful is waiting for me to make my next move.

Making Campaign Points by Proposing Changes in Social Security Eligibility

According to today’s edition of the StarTribune, GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum is calling for immediate cuts to Social Security benefits, including a higher eligibility age to qualify as well as tighter restrictions on other income.  Once again, the term “entitlement” is being thrown around without distinction between those benefits that have been earned and other safety net programs.  It appears that Mr. Santorum is attempting to appeal to the more selfish “what’s mine is mine” voters currently supporting Ron Paul in the hope of increasing the ex-Pennsylvania Senator’s convention vote total against GOP presidential front-runner Mitt Romney.  Forget the fact that while in the United States Senate, Mr. Santorum voted numerous times for entitlement earmarks that benefited the taxpayers of Pennsylvania.

Social Security is often termed an "entitlement" program, implying that recipients are getting something they haven't earned.  Believe me, after paying into the system for 45 years, we've EARNED it!  Congress has already changed the eligibility rules once.  With a growing retiree population, Mr. Santorum is way off base if he thinks the solution to our national budget problems lies in screwing retirees just to gain more caucus and primary votes.  Retirees beware--the growing hostility toward our generation is real and can now be found on the campaign trail.

Beginning My Newest Journey

My life has been a roller coaster of change and challenge.  I have always taken care to do those things expected of a father, husband, and male in our society without thinking of other options.  Somewhere in between school, jobs, career, parenting, and husbanding, I have attempted to lead the best life I know how.  I have been blessed with numorous opportunities and I have always said "yes" whenever called to give of myself to whatever cause beckoned.  I am grateful...and I have grown tremendously over these past 60 years.

Now I face a new challenge and change in my life...anticipating retirement (or "refirement" as some view it).  Perhaps the most daunting of all my experiences, I am attempting to put into place new opportunities that will re-energize me and renew my enthusiasm for what each day will bring.  This blog has been created to capture the essense of what I will find in my journey and how I will approach each day's gift.  I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity to reach this important phase of my life.