I have been reflecting on my life for the past couple of hours. Today I retired for the second time---this time for Social Security with 48 quarters of compensable time. That is 12 years working---I retired from the Forest Service with 39 years and a couple of days working. That means I spent 51 years of my life working. I am 62 years old today so that means I started working full time when I was 11 years old. That isn't quite true---I started at 9 and took a few quarters off while I was unemployed and/or going to college. So quite frankly I couldn't remember a time in my life when I wasn't working until I retired from the FS. I was pretty worried that I wouldn't know what to do with myself in retirement. Well maybe I still don't know what to do but for sure I am enjoying not being tied to a job any more. I miss the heck out of the association with the people I worked with though.
I loved going on the fires I went to this past year but I didn't have to go---it was my choice whether I went or not. There is a great amount of freedom and enjoyment just in the fact that it was truly a choice. It pays me pretty well to go on the fires but only about 1/3 of what I got paid a year ago (when I was working for the FS) to do the same job. I have determined that I do fire for the adrenaline fix I get out of going and that I get to associate with some great people while I am doing it.
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2 comments:
Happy Birthday! :) That is a long time to work!
I have to agree with you.. I think your adrenaline drive is what drove me into forestry. I so miss doing the fire work, just maybe someday I'll get to do it again...I need to upload those pictures I told you about...I will do it, I promise. I think you will have to send me your e-mail address directly.
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