A lifetime and the aftermath
Today is my official retirement date. It’s 21 years to the day since I began working in the Canadian federal public service. In that time, I attended the retirement parties for several colleagues and participated in the standard jokes about not working, and thought about what my retirement would be like. I had planned to retire at 60, with 30 years of service and an almost full pension, and then move into my post-retirement role, which would include perhaps some volunteer work, or some contracting or something that would occupy my mind and provide some good to my community. Instead, I’ve learnt the reality of statements like, “Man proposes, God disposes,” and “life is what happens when you’re busy making plans,” among others! I look back at my career, my plans and dreams about it, and where I am now and I have to accept that things do not always go as expected. I’m the first to admit that I didn’t always make the best choices, that I’ve not always learned from the experiences approp