MONDAY MORNING DRIVE BY

Office Park, Greensboro, NC

 I like to go for a short drive after working out at the fitness center.  Sometimes I’ll swing through Starbucks for a drink and other times I’m just in the mood for a drive if the weather is accommodating.  The weather was ideal this morning as I left the building, so I simply headed to a nearby business park which has a pleasant wooded drive through.

I’ve seemingly made that drive to work early on a Monday morning at least one gazillion times.  Some mornings my mind was on autopilot and many others it was focused on the goals for the day.  There were a few mornings that I simply forced myself to make the drive since the agenda for the day was distasteful.  Not every day in the life of a human being is a pearl, but you suit up for all of them and it’s bearable if the majority can be considered productive, adventurous and in relationship with coworkers that you enjoy being involved with in a shared goal that has a good outcome.

I remember driving to the office on those difficult days and looking forward to the day that was still too many years in the future when I would no longer have to turn into the parking lot.  Of course, those were character building days that challenged our ability to “keep your head while all about you were losing theirs”, to quote Kipling.  So, now that I’ve been blessed to reach that seemingly unreachable brass ring of retirement, a drive through a pleasant business park with no intention of stopping has to be another one of those sweet perks.  And a quick flash prayer is uttered for a great workday for all the folks inside the buildings that have left their parked vehicles outside.

It’s the reward of a Monday morning drive by that is exchanged for our prime days in the sun and the rigors of battle in the trenches.   

THE INDULGENCE OF A RAINY MORNING

Rain Drops on Spring Lilacs, Jamestown, NC

SIMPLE PLEASURES

Awakening early this morning to the sound of rain drops on the bedroom windows and water rushing through downspouts, I realized that this simple pleasure is quite possibly the most rewarding of all in retirement.  Like most life experiences, the level of satisfaction can only be relevant when compared to other similar memories, both positive and negative.  One positive thought could harken back to our first awakening in the womb to the soothing sound of amniotic fluids surrounding our developing bodies.

I’ve worked all of my adult life up to the day when I was old enough to have accumulated enough retirement income, in addition to affordable health insurance so that one critical illness would not consume it all.  And there was never a more difficult time to rise and shine than early on a work week Monday morning with the same familiar sound of rain drops on rooftops.  It’s a siren song of nature that is luring you back into a deep nirvana slumber like no other.  But I had a mortgage and bills to pay, a family to support and associates at work that depended on my presence or possibly a 6:00 AM plane to catch.   So I rose, showered, woofed down a quick bowl of cereal, inhaled a warm cup of coffee and trudged out of the comfort of home under the dismal spring rain clouds singing “I owe, I owe, it’s off to work I go!” to the synchronic rhythm of the windshield wipers.

But the spring rain this morning gave me pause to reflect on those days and appreciate the simple indulgence of turning over for a few more minutes in a semi-conscious state to soak in the soothing chorus of the rain on the roof.  And then rising to an unhurried morning with no entries on my planner that required my presence.  But it really was those hurried days of yesteryear that ultimately gave me the acute appreciation of such a simple pleasure that was beyond measure this morning.

I AM

I Am Sunrise, Kiawah Island, SC

In the third chapter of the book of Exodus, God captures Moses’ attention by speaking to him from a non-consuming burning bush. When he directs Moses to free the Israelites from their captors in Egypt, Moses wants to know the name of the god who is sending him, as the Egyptians had many gods by many names in those days. He responds by telling Moses that “I am who I am”, meaning that he is the one powerful, eternal and unchanging God.

It’s been stated that “I am” are two of the most powerful words in the human language. Our Creator used them to describe himself and whatever we choose to add after these two words becomes our reality. The first thing we usually ask when meeting someone is what’s your name and where do you live? Work in our society is central to our status, economic well-being and our identity. Consequently, we often respond to who we are by telling someone what we do for a living. That becomes problematic once we retire.

When I began contemplating retirement, I was given some good advice up front. I was reminded that many of us who have spent our entire careers in a particular profession and possibly a limited number of companies need to be aware of losing our identity. If we haven’t prepared to transition from a life of success into a life of significance and have already began the process to other volunteer and meaningful activities, we are flying headlong into an identity crisis. Today’s future professionals should have no problem with this as it’s been predicted that many of the jobs waiting for them haven’t even been created yet. And they will have multiple careers in their lifetime as the pace of change continues to accelerate.

God has never encountered such a crisis as He is timeless and unchanging. He is the great I Am. And His work to redeem the human race would seem to be secure.

RUSH HOUR

Morning Rush Hour, Greensboro, NC

I attend a men’s prayer breakfast at 7:00 on most Thursday mornings. We enjoy good fellowship, a better meal than I’d probably have at home and share personal praises and concerns. We then dismiss and go our separate ways. Some go off to work and others move on to wherever today’s retirement agenda leads them. I like the thought that transitioning from work to retirement is simply moving from a life of success to one of significance.

Today wasn’t much different than most Thursday mornings as I drove in the rush hour traffic after breakfast. I’ve found that I actually enjoy driving the long way home to relive the experience that was so much a part of my life for so many working years. There’s a sense of camaraderie as you glance around you at multiple lanes of vehicles migrating to distant office parks, retail malls, school buildings, production plants, warehousing centers, downtowns, airports, etc.

I witnessed many familiar scenes today as I observed young women making last minute touches on their makeup and young men straightening their hair or using an electric razor. Folks were hoisting their cell phones at every stop light to get caught up on the night’s texts and e-mails. Mothers were giving instructions to the unseen child in a car seat behind them or possibly calming the family dog in a crate on the way to doggy day care. And dreary-eyed men were sipping their ubiquitous Starbucks Grande coffee cups as they attempt to ramp up their heads for the morning’s challenges.

As I moved through an urban business park, I recalled that I was generally fully engaged by the time I parked my car in the company lot. The commute had given me time to gather my priorities and my sense of urgency to tackle a new day. I was locked, loaded and primed to dive into all the opportunities cleverly disguised as problems. Every day is another chance to grow and learn and expand your circle of relationships. And since challenging work is generally good for us if we keep our family, spiritual and career life in balance, I was excited to see how life would unfold.

Admittedly, there were also those exceptional days when driving to work with all the other nameless faces could only be compared with voluntarily taking yourself to a beating. Like those mornings when you were faced with sitting down with associates you had known for years and explaining the terms of their termination. When I catch myself getting nostalgic about those mostly good days at work, I just conjure up one of those repressed dark days. And when the string of vehicles ahead of me begins exiting off the roadway and into a corporate lot, I simply look straight ahead and placidly drive on.

EXAULTED FUBAH COYOTE

Exaulted Fubah Coyote American Gothic

One of the perks about retirement is mostly doing what you really like to spend time doing (like writing a blog, volunteering your time, etc.) and choosing your own job title which comes with the territory. I recently stumbled across a post that listed some of the more contemporary marketing self-titles that must have been created in the spirit of fun and ordinary nonsense.

Most everyone who works for a living probably has some sort of job title associated with a pay grade and career path. The ubiquitous marks of rank and authority are rampant throughout all of humanity in corporations, military, government, religion, aboriginal tribes, etc. I recall one specific promotion where I was told to come up with my own job title for a new venture and I thought long and hard about a sensible and relevant title. But some of the new on-line start ups are having more fun with the anti-establishment monikers that permeate corporate cultures. I’m kind of keen on Exaulted Fubah Coyote for my retirement title.

Here’s a small sampling of idea starters to generate your very own personal title at home and on social media, even if you have one of those stiff shirt corporate ones at work. You can be all you can be by subbing the asterisks for one or more or whatever (even if the title will only be titular in nature)!

CHIEF ***** OFFICER
EXHAULTED *****
TOOTH FAIRY
FUBAH
ROCKSTAR
NINJA
WARLORD
GURU
ALCHEMIST
BATTLE ORC
COWBOY
ASSASSIN
SAMURAI
WIZARD
COYOTE
DIRTY DIAPER CHANGER
SMARTIPANTS