Monthly Archives: May 2013

Preparing for retirement

So, I wasn’t going to start this particular theme until I handed in my notice but having had a very pleasant walk down to Morrisons in the sun, I am thinking that just maybe retirement ain’t such a bad concept!! Took the long route along the beach. Waves were gently breaking on the shoreline, a few couples were strolling along the promenade, a handful of children were on the beach and the sun beat down on us all. Stopped for a while to watch several families of Eider ducks picking through the seaweed for food.

Eider ducks on the sea

Eider ducks

Would normally have been on my way home from work and missed it all. But retirement opens up possibilities of enjoying the rare sunshine.

Retirement!! Not something I was expecting to consider quite yet. Although I am 61 I still have loads of passion both for midwifery and for teaching. So I had always expected to go parttime for a while. Never even considered that this would be a problem, but when I went through the process and put in the request, it was refused. Three times!! On the third occasion, after a month of soul searching, I informed them that in that case I would be retiring. I certainly have no wish to continue working at the breakneck speed expected of everyone nowadays. And I have other things to do. Like baby minding!!

So I have decided to retire at the end of November. When I am due to get my Old Age Pension. Old!! It needs renaming. I am not old. So I am building up a portfolio of paid and voluntary activities.

I am already serving as an adjudicating member of GTCS. Have an interview to become a volunteer at the Commonwealth Games next month. Have completed my Instructors sessions for the SMMDP programme. And have registered to become a First Aider with the Red Cross. These plus the work I already do for the ARM and the VIDM should I guess keep me busy. I also have a book to update!!

And I haven’t even mentioned grandchildren….

This then is my first blog of my journey towards and through retirement. I wonder if I will be any better at writing this ‘diary’ as the ones I started in my teenage years.