Careers

Have you ever used a throwaway line you’ve regretted? I have, and it came back to bite me right in the butt.
During the final throes of handover during the sale of my business, the unwise line fell out of my big mouth: “If you’re ever stuck, give me a shout and I’ll help you out.” Well, the call came recently. I could hardly say no, although I thought about it.
A former employee who handled a large account with a guy who is,

Hello, everyone!
I have been lurking for a few months, getting to know you from afar, and enjoying your posts and comments. Since I have wanted to chime in on a few threads, I figured it would be good to introduce myself.
My wife and I retired on July 1, 2025 from teaching (I ethics, she English) at the university level. While only three and a half months into it, retirement has been more wonderful than we expected.

I found a dead cockroach, feet up in the air, in the kitchen, and it struck me that I haven’t done anything productive either over the last two months. Even sleeping late has proven impossible, thanks to my Shih Tzu. My efforts to start a second, part-time career is bogged down in paperwork—far more than I ever anticipated. Apparently, working in my field for over 40 years with a solid reputation is enough to convince recruiters of my competence,

People think being an income tax preparer is all about possessing some super-human knowledge of the income tax code. It’s not. With the proper amount of continuing education and good computer software, you too could become a tax preparer. But to be a good one, you have to excel at customer service. You have to be accurate and thorough, you need to answer the phone and to be there for your customers. 
Still, sometimes, I had to let a client go.

As a business owner, I was constantly required to be in the customer spotlight, which unfortunately meant adopting an extroverted façade—a sharp contrast to my naturally introverted self. My professional life, with its constant interaction and performative elements, was the biggest stage for this alter ego. Essentially, I was an entrepreneur with a separate, exhausting full-time job: character actor.
My favourite part of the day was 5 a.m., sitting in the sunroom with a coffee while my wife Suzie and the children were still asleep—the calm before donning my character mask and heading out for the day’s business.

I’m blaming Nick for this post, which has nothing to do with retirement. Still, I thought you may enjoy hearing about the drinking culture in the beer business, in the 70s.
My first job in the beverage business was as a driver-salesman for Pepsi. After several years I decided to pursue a job selling beer. It was 1977, I was 24 when I applied for a job and was called for an interview at the beer distributor.

Wade Pfau has an interesting article on RetirementResearch.com about the non-financial aspects of retirement and the various stages. 
In it he states, “Mid-retirement often reveals the cracks beneath the surface. Six months to a year in, many retirees face the “most dangerous day,” when the novelty wears off and the emptiness of unscheduled time sets in. Without purpose or structure, days can feel repetitive. This is when boredom or unease can set in, sometimes leading to unhealthy patterns.”
Since this never happened to me,

On the 8th August we worked the morning, then put on a barbeque lunch for our staff and customers. And by 5pm it was all over. The sale was complete, our bank balance was a bit higher, and a group of people all entered a new phase of their lives.
The sale and handover of our automotive workshop went very, very well. The new owners spent about a month working along side us, and we tried to impart every morsel of knowledge that we possibly could.

I sold and delivered beer from a side-load truck for 30 years. A stack of beer weighed up to twice what I did. That was a physically brutal job, and although I hung up my hand-truck at age 50, I still pay a price for that career choice via osteoarthritis that won’t ever go away.
Next up was 20 years of preparing tax returns. Physically simple compared to my first occupation, though stressfully intense during the 3 month busy season. 

I spent most of my early 20s not knowing what I wanted to do with my life – I lost track of how many times I changed my major! After graduating, I moved to Japan and spent a couple of years teaching English and exploring SE Asia. I knew I eventually wanted to go to graduate school, but I also knew that I didn’t want to continue in the field in which I’d (finally) majored. In a twist no one who knew me saw coming,

I worked and earned income from 1963 to 2022. I always saved a portion of my earnings. Some was “parked” in real estate, some in the stock market, some in bonds and some in a traditional savings account.
Every dollar I saved represented many hours of true labor. Some was as a business owner, some as an engineer, some was “sweat equity” in my homes and RVs, and some labor was expended by maintaining a commercial property.

So, Friday August 8th, the sale of our business settled. We had struck a 2 week delay, which was quite an annoyance, but ultimately didn’t prevent the sale and handover from going remarkably well. It’s wonderful to feel that we have given the new owners the very best chance of success. In the last few weeks customers and staff were spending more time talking with the new owners and less with us, exactly as we hoped!

I’m typing this early in the morning from my cousin’s lovely little courtyard garden in London. Everyone is still sleeping, and it’s a beautiful, sunny start to the day, perfect for contemplating and drinking coffee. The thought is playing through my mind: although my life is now different, I don’t feel “retired.”
My days are certainly different and definitely more enjoyable than when I was working, but I still have that sense of agency and direction that filled my time prior to retirement.

We often read those poignant articles about never truly knowing when we’re experiencing something for the very last time—that final hug, or the last time we carry our child. A bit sad, I tend to skip them. But I’ve been thinking from the opposite viewpoint: those “OMG, thank goodness I don’t have to do that again!” moments.
As a recent retiree, I can easily recall a few such glorious moments. Early starts, for instance, never bothered me much at the time,

Who doesn’t like to give advice and these days and I would have Gemini and ChatGTP to help.  
To keep it friendly I’m thinking of going by Dear Dickie.
Think of all the good I could do encouraging people to give up their budgets and spreadsheets and aim for 100% base pay replacement in retirement, including use of an immediate annuity, dividends and interest. I’d tell them to make sure they leave a modest legacy if possible,