Wish I knew what I will be doing

by Linda
(Missouri)

I just found out that the plant that I have been working at for over 37 years is being closed and the work sent to Mexico. I am SAD SAD SAD.

I am s 66 yrs old women and I am eligible for 2 pension checks and social security plus an ira that I have had for 40 years so money isn't a pressing problem but who knows what will happen in the future.

My main problem is that I have to grieve silently. Everybody tells me how lucky I am that I will get severence plus unemployment bla bla bla. I wasn't ready to retire.

I have invested a lot of my time and emotional energy in my work and now it is leaving the country and to add insult to injury I have to train the Mexican who is taking over my job how to run my equipment.

So I would like to know what you do all day when you don't work. I do have a few hobbies and I go to the gym 4 days a week. I also run and race in 5k's but that will not fill up my time. I am not artsy at all.

My grandkids live in Arizona and they are 20 and 24 so they certainly don't need a babysitter. I have no interest in any thing like the red hat club or bridge or anything like that.

It's been easy for people to be judgemental of me because I won't be in financial straits but there is more to losing your job than the money.

If you don't work, what is it that you do to structure your day ?

Wendy THAT is the reason for this website... it's not about money, though a struggling retiree would certainly disagree.

What to DO all day, every day? Esp when you were dedicated to your employer, and it sounds like you were. One suggestion, register for my Retirement Ideas Workshop. A simple series of emails with Ideas on Different Things to Consider to Keep Busy... maybe one will click with you!

One last comment -- you mentioned grieving. You will and need to allow yourself time to grieve the loss of your job. Just like the loss of anything big in life, you need the grieving process to get past it... but YOU WILL Move past it. It just takes time.

Best Wishes!

Comments for Wish I knew what I will be doing

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Grieving the loss of past life
by: Nancy

Before I found this website almost everything I googled on the Internet about retirement had to do with finances. That has been the least of my worries.

I've found that adjusting to retirement was in a big part the grieving of my past work life. I willingly left my job, but I have regretted it often. I had a choice. Just wanted to validate your feelings.

Wendy, I couldn't click on the link for the retirement workshop nor could I copy and paste it. Thanks.

Wendy: There IS a grieving process, just like any big life event. Just give yourself time to walk through them... and life will turn itself around.

Here is the link to the Retirement Ideas workshop. You'll get a series of emails with simple ideas on how to spend your time in retirement. Some won't appeal, just hit delete. Others will be interesting, to you personally, and possibly something you might pursue!

Just trying to help find ideas out there to keep retirees active! I hope one of them "clicks" for you!
Re: Tirement
by: Anonymous Chuck

I planned to retire at 62. I did. Now what?

Retirement is like a new counter or new refrigerator. What do I put in it, or what do I put on the outside doors? Eventually they become full.

The empty counter now has a toaster, coffeepot and other things. The fridge is fill and the outside has magnets from your trips to Antarctica and New Zealand along with picture and drawning of grand kids.

[What I'm saying, your retirement will fill itself with just a little effort.]

You can find a new job, or not. You can do volunteer work, or not. YOU are now the CEO, CFO, manager and worker all rolled into one. You can stop and start something new, or not.

[What can I do? Any damn thing you want to do (legally). ]

I worked in our Hazelwood, Mo plant for 17 years. I missed the socializing for a few months... the routine, the smells and sounds. They fade fast, faster than you think.

You are given a fair pay for a fair days work. Be the best darn trainer that trainee ever had. Lick the salt from your wounds, get over your pity party and get off your arse and network.

So something different or similar to your job if that's what you want. Do manual labor, work in sales or a boutique, make something and make something of your retirement. Just do it.

A retired worker from metro-east says so. It's your life 24-7. Use it wisely. It will be gone sooner than you think. I'm 67, retired, and happy.

[If I knew it was this good. I'd have retired after high school. ]
senior center
by: Anonymous

We joined a local senior center - they serve breakast on tuesday and lunch on thursday - and have a lot of different activites.
Keeping Yourself Busy in Retirement
by: Tom Damron

I am the Care Giver for two Alzheimer's patients, Identical twins, one being my own spouse of 47 years.

I can tell you from experience, there are Day Care facilities that would welcome you to handle some of the activities they have for their 'customers,' assisted living residences have the need for more hands, nursing homes sponsor activities that need aides.

[What do you do if you either volunteer or become a part-time employee?]

You call the Bingo Games, you ask trivia questions, you monitor the 'Bat the ball or balloon' exercise, you shuffle them to their lunch table, help them in from the car and those aides. I see are excited about their involvement.

Look the facilities in your area up and then talk with the Director. You'll be surprised what a difference you can make in their lives when you're with them. I admire all of those I see each week with their huge smiles and loving manner.
You are more than your job!
by: Sheila

You say you have invested a lot of time and emotional energy in the job you are losing. But you don't say what that job was. You must have enjoyed it to stay with it for so long, and you must have been a valuable employee. So, take that experience and turn it into a new job. Ask your employer for recommendations and re-write your resume.

Someone somewhere is looking for YOU.

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