As I like to say, I am not shy, but I AM retiring.   Which is to say, when I now do things I have no title and receive no salary.  But I probably did not change in some fundamental way between the day before and the day after retirement.  I go to work out in the same building where my office was so I actually see everybody fairly regularly.  It is peculiar.  The big thing for them is to avoid the tempatation to ask my opinion about what they are doing or to start telling me why they haven’t done something yet and how they plan to get back on track.

I would rather not know.  I can talk to them as people with hobbies and interests and talents but not as workers.   Otherwise I really have not left, I’m just not getting paid.

Now I still do teach, for which I receive remuneration.   But I would almost do this without getting paid.  I enjoy it.  I’ll probaly do a few more volunteer activities as well.

But I see my life as being organized in three month chunks now.  I don’t think too much about the long term.  I just want to enjoy the next three months as best I can.

People are all asking me why I left.  When I was sick with a viral infection in January, rumours started to circulate that I myself was sick and that was why I had to retire.  Actually, it has more to do with my three month chunk approach to living.   I don’t want to undertake activities that last much longer than that.  I have become superstitious like my parents.  Don’t make too many plans because you may be giving too much information to the Devil.  The Yiddish expression is “Der mensh trakht un Got lakht.”  Men scheme and God laughs.

I suppose I would do some short term projects if interesting ones presented themselves.  But on the whole I want to spend time doing some things I just want to do: work out, study some languages,  learn some Torah, play with my grandchildren and hang with the kids.   Even this may be ambitious.

The only thing I regret is having to leave one of the few jobs where I have felt at home, where I felt I could be myself and that by so doing I would make an important contribution.   This is rare in life and I have enjoyed it while it lasted.   However, as for many things in life, nay, like life itself, there is an end.   I hope to enjoy what I can before my own personal best before date.

In the meantime, I will continue to write the occasional article for my blog and hope someone like you reads it.   If you read anything you enjoy or which causes you to reflect, I will have had some small effect on the world for the good.   So, nothing would please me more than you reading further and more of what I have written and letting me know if you have been affected by it for better or for worse. 

May you have a meaningful read!