If someone came along today, asking me whether I'd like to retire right now, I would exclaim a heartfelt "YES!"
For six weeks now, I have been on an enforced break from work, and what can I say - there was not one single minute of boredom. Admittedly, for the first few days after each operation, I did not do much more than changing from the settee to my bed and back, and of course I had those early morning follow-up appointments at the clinic and at my own doctor's to get up for.
But after that, I was more or less able to do much of what I wanted, which included walks (on my own or with my sister), visiting my parents, doing my shopping, washing, cleaning and ironing, and of course welcome O.K. here at my place for weekends or travelling to his place.
Now this time of freedom is almost up, and I am scheduled to go back to work on Monday. The doctors tell me that my eyes are still adjusting for another 6-8 weeks, so it does not make sense yet to measure for new specs. But I can not really work without them, so I am having provisorial glasses made. Tomorrow or Saturday, I should be able to pick them up, which leaves me with a bit of time to practise before Monday.
My return to work won't be full force from the start, as I will still need frequent breaks from the screen. But I can at least do something, which is fine - but, honestly, I did not really miss work. I enjoy my job and like most of my clients very much, but there has been an ongoing situation at work for some months now that has left me a little unhappy, encroaching on my main area of competence much more than it should. That, and the freedom I enjoyed over these past weeks, without one appointment or meeting after the other, has left me with a desire of working less, knowing full well that retirement is about 15 years away and pulling out early is not really an option.
Well, we'll see how things go once I am back to my regular life.
In the meantime, here is a random assortment of pictures (mostly) from those days and weeks of freedom:
Flowers my Mum and Dad had sent the day after the 2nd operation last Tuesday:
New pair of "New Balance" trainers I ordered to replace my most-worn pair for the last five years:
I keep reminding myself that all of this is still possible when I am back at work - just not so much at my own pace.
Retirement has a lot to recommend it. Stuff as much in your pension as you can.
ReplyDeleteIf all goes according to plan, by the time I retire my mortgage is paid off and my flat is really mine, not the bank‘s anymore. That alone will be a big chunk off my monthly balance.
DeleteGlad things are going well and hope the new glasses will be available soon. Eventually Meike when you can retire, you will wonder how on earth you had time to actually go to work - retirement for me has always been such a busy part of life. I have to admit I like it better than all those years of having to leave the house for work day in day out - mostly to an office situation at one business or another!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos - love your sunhat, and see you hair is really blonde now and suits you so well!
We made it to New England and the weather is perfect so far. Having a fun time.
Hugs - Mary
Even now that I am not able/allowed to do everything (no sports yet, for instance), I am never bored - and there are indeed things I thought I was going to do during thise six weeks but have somehow not gotten round to…
DeleteGlad you are having good weather in New England! Enjoy your trip - I am already looking forward to pictures on your blog.
Your living room is so pretty! So are those flowers your parents sent you. Sunflowers are always so cheerful.
ReplyDeleteHey, is that champagne I see on the breakfast table?! Love it! O.K. is one lucky guy. And the picture of little Meike is adorable. You look just like yourself.
We often have a glass or two of sparkling wine with our Sunday breakfast, usually leftovers from Saturday night when we only need about half the bottle for Aperol Spritz or so.
DeleteThe little cat with me in the childhood picture was our first car, my sister saved him from nasty boys in the neighbourhood. Unfortunately, before we moved away from that village to Ludwigsburg, he was run over on the street in front of our house.
We are all overjoyed to hear that your eyes are improving.
ReplyDeleteSurgery is daunting, you have come through a hard journey; I who have never needed surgery (so far) am full of admiration.
I disagree that you look older without glasses.
The photo in your stylish straw Leghorn hat is the way I imagine Karen Blixen looking.
The photo with your shandy reminds me of Bibi Andersson of Ingmar Bergman fame..
Years ago I considered returning to contact lenses, then decided to stick to my amber coloured Oliver Peoples frames of which I have six or seven pairs.
A waitress once asked if I was a mathematician : I can dream, can't I?
I am reading a wonderful short book, *Helgoland*, about Quantum Physics. Carlo Rovelli.
Retirement is like school holidays without end : most people need some structure to their new routine, and some involvement with people, if only voluntary work.
My London sister works for an international NGO, and may retire next year when she's 66.
I told her there will be Mondays and Tuesdays when she feels adrift, missing work.
Learning to play the piano or guitar, or learning Italian is a good idea.
Or reading groups, meet-ups, visiting the housebound and elderly, church, theatre groups.
I was watching Sylvia Whitman (YouTube) who runs Shakespeare and Co. in Paris.
I should love to be the owner of Moss Books, Henrietta Street, Cheltenham.
My other sister lives in Cheltenham and the bookshop is idyllic on summer afternoons.
Jack Haggerty
Running a bookshop is something I would enjoy, too. But for the time being, I shall stick to what I know best, which is my current work; and I am sure I'll be fine once I get started again.
DeleteWhen my parents retired, they were both doing voluntary work. My Dad had to stop for health reasons and my Mum stopped only last year when she felt caring for my Dad was becoming plenty enough to keep her busy.
As for learning to play the piano or guitar or Italian, I'm afraid I already know all three. But for many years, I have been harbouring wishes to learn Russian and Arabic, both fascinating languages with their own writing. Maybe I never will actually tackle either, but I'll see what life is going to be like in 15 years from now.
You look too young to be retired! :)
ReplyDeleteI am glad your surgery went well and you enjoyed your time off recovering. Even when you are working, you do a great job of getting out and enjoying the lovely world around you with family, friends and OK! That is what makes you a happy, loving person! Thanks for sharing it all with me!
You are very welcome, Ellen - thank YOU for coming along on all my walks and so on!
DeleteThe flowers your Mom and Dad sent you are gorgeous! All of your pictures are beautiful especially the one of you as a child! Take it easy when you first go back to work. Maybe it will make the transition easier since you will not start out with a full schedule. I remember when I was about 15 years away from retirement and I felt it would never come. Time has a way of surprising us and you will be there before you know it!
ReplyDeleteMy Dad unearthed that photo from 1973/74 the other day, and I really like it, too.
DeleteIt will be entirely up to me how much I do during that first week, as I am of course still working from home. If I decide I need a break instead of attending a particular meeting, I will have to be firm and really NOT attend the meeting. I will have to balance things carefully, because naturally, I do not want to leave my clients thinking I am not interested in working for them anymore.
This may come across as criticism. It isn't. It's just a question: Where is the joy after two successful eye operations? I know your condition is different to what mine was but even after the first op I was overawed, overjoyed, I was like a kid in a candy shop when I went outside the next morning. It was unbelievable. Second biggest miracle of my life (my son's existence the unbeatable one).
ReplyDeleteHope you make a good recovery, all the best,
U
Of course you have no way of knowing everything I wrote since my operation(s); in comments on other blogs as well as in private messages. But yes, the first time I was able to walk through Stuttgart on my own WITHOUT SPECS felt quite sensational! And I am utterly, utterly grateful for that miracle of modern medicine that made this possible, and that Professor Sauder performed the surgery so well on both my eyes.
DeleteThe last time I was running around without specs was when I was six years old!
Hoping that the transition back to work goes smoothly. Imagine it would be difficult to have too much screen time, especially as you will only have your provisional glasses a couple of days ahead of time. Do be firm about your need for breaks. Hope none of your clients would want to hinder your full recovery. Good to think of this line from Dr Seuss (or Bernard Baruch, depending on the attribution): "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
ReplyDeleteI keep a large wooden plaque on my kitchen wall with these words. Take care, Meike.
Thank you, Mary - those are wise words! Many years ago in another life and another job, my boss noticed that I was putting undue stress on myself. He told me that in a similar situation, it had helped him enormously to ask himself a simple question: What happens if I don‘t do that? I have adopted this method and, although I still usually do what is expected from me, it really can be useful!
DeleteI hope that following your long health break from work the "ongoing situation" you mentioned will have somehow resolved itself. You have always come across as a diligent professional - happy in your work. I don't like to think of you bearing the weight of that "ongoing situation".
ReplyDeleteThank you, Neil! The ongoing situation is still unchanged - but there is light at the end of the tunnel. My plan is to definitely end that particular situation by the end of this year, so only another few months to go, with a two-week holiday with O.K. planned in the second half of September.
DeleteSo much about retirement is a balancing act. I retired at the earliest possible time and went into my own business. I sold that in 2005 at the age of 61 and have been fully retired since then. It enabled me to have my New Zealand life. When I was young people were fortunate to be able to retire at 60 and the state pensionable age for men was 65. I think it has increased in recent years in the UK. However when I was young 65 was considered quite old. Now 65 is considered middle age and people live longer. Many people I know have started new lives in their middle 60s. As a former blogger, Jaz, said after she survived a serious brain tumour "Feeling young is fabulous but growing old is a blessing!!!" I hope that you enjoy the rest of your working life and that it enables you to achieve the freedom to live a full and happy life in retirement - whenever that may be. (And I hope you are still blogging and that I can still read it!)
ReplyDeleteEvery now and then, there is talk here in Germany about changing the regular retirement age. It could very well mean that my generation has to work longer than our parents did. Under many aspects, they worked harder - but few will debate that life in general has become more and more fast paced and stressful.
DeleteMy little whining session aside, I really do enjoy work and the satisfaction of a job well done. If my clients see it that way, too, and express their appreciation, even better. The balance between work and leisure needs to be just right, and it has not been not quite right for more than a year now.
I, too, hope you will still be around to read my blog when I retire!
What is the current regular retirement age in Germany? Here it's been 65 but there is talk of raising it here too - it may even have been decided, I don't quite remember. My own early (accident-related) retirement was changed to regular old-age pension when I turned 65 last year.
DeleteIt is 65 here, too, and same as in your country, there has been talk of raising it. People who have joined the workforce very early can retire once they have reached 45 years of paying into the stately pension funds.
DeleteMy whole family had a serious case of covid-cabin-fever, as I think everyone has. It's been good just to get out of the house and back to some semblance of normal, and most of all take a break from the grind.
ReplyDeleteCabin fever was not really an issue for me during the last 1 1/2 years, as I was lucky in that I could spend many a weekend at O.K.'s and we were even able to have that hiking holiday last September. But I can see how it must have affected countless others.
DeleteLike most retirees I can recommend retirement, you will never be bored. The one thing I would suggest is if you dont do it already is to keep your diary updated, because it will fill up quickly, and finding a slot for something can be hard. Retirement is something to look forward to. Pleased you're doing well after the op.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dave - I was never bored during those six weeks, but then of course there were appointments to keep and healing to be done.
DeleteAlso, I know from my parents how busy they have been until not that long ago during their retirement. Only now with their health issues has their activity level become much lower.
Glad you've been able to enjoy your time off work! It's really strange seeing (photos of) oneself without glasses, isn't it, when one has "always" been wearing them... As I only ever see myself very close up in the mirror without glasses, I hardly recognize myself in a photo where I'm without them (like my last passport photo a few years ago, for which I had to take them off!)
ReplyDeleteI am a lot more comfortable with my looks when I wear specs, which I am doing again. Work has been alright this first week back, but I still need those breaks from looking at various screens (three at the moment).
Delete