At the age of 63, after working for the Illinois Department of Revenue for 23 years 3 months, I retired. Sitting here some 5 months later, I find myself hoping I don’t end up with the biggest case of buyer’s remorse. I mean, ultimately, life comes down to trading your very existence for the ability to continue to exist. In this case I traded a all those years at IDOR for the pension, and some other benefits, I now receive. But is that going to be enough? Did I make a colossal mistake? How much time do I really have left?
We encounter many milestones throughout our lives; many of which we look forward to with eager anticipation. But retirement carries with it a sense of being one of the last milestones you get to experience while still alive. I definitely looked forward to it while I was still working! And yet, the last few months haven’t exactly been a nonstop celebration. Christmas morning with pretty presents under the tree it’s not. It could, of course, be a whole lot worse. I mean, I could still be working at the Department of Revenue!