Five more days

Next Friday I retire from the full time workforce. In case you didn't notice, that makes room for one new worker. In the summer of 1959 someone, somewhere, retired and made space for me. I was the new worker then and had a lot to learn. After a summer job, I entered the military for a while and the older I get the more I appreciate the things the military taught me. Two that come to mind are "Being on time" and "Respect for authority".

My dad always said if you were not 5 minutes early, you were late. That has stuck with me through the years and even today I would rather be early than late to anything. I tend to be at work a half hour early, if for no other reason it gives me time to collect my thoughts and plan my day, although often my day is planned by the incidents that naturally occur in a university IT department. Many of today's young workers do not share that committment to punctuality. I see more and more a casualness about being on time or being where you said you would be when you said you would be there. It boils down to a lack of respect for ones employer, fellow workers, clients, customers, etc.

Respect for authority is waning in these latter days whether it is government, employer, parental, teacher, or some other authority. We all have many forms of authority over us and whether we like it or not, it is there to help us. God places us in various situations like this where people or organizations have authority over us. We are reminded by scripture that we must respect that power and obey. This is sometimes a hard lesson but it must be learned if we are to be all that God intends for us to be. Our jails are full and overflowing with people who have rejected the idea of someone having authority over them.

Sometime this week I expect there will be some sort of reception to allow everyone to say goodbye and wish me well. In the meantime I need to share as much of my knowledge as possible with the person who replaces me and who starts tomorrow. I will also clean out my office, removing all the "stuff" that has made it uniquely mine for these years. Some of it will be easy and some of it will be hard, not physically but emotionally. Ones office and workspace become an extension of oneself and giving that space up will be difficult.

I am told that I may need to work the first week of February but that will be considered part time hourly so Friday will be the last official full time work day. It has arrived faster that I thought it would when I told them I was retiring. As it approaches I am both frightened and excited. I am ready and I await what the next phase of my life holds.