My darling is retiring. After 34 years with Interior Health he is going to retire and spend his days doing other activities. Meetings may be at coffee shops, project planning will involve docks, not new services for those with mental illness or substance use. Life is going to be different.
Cliff has been very fortunate that he found a career he loved and in those 34 years rarely missed work, was still excited about what he did, still advocated consistently for client- centered service, and respected and admired the people he worked with.
He saw a lot of change over those years including who was signing his paycheque, as the health system in B.C. and in our area has gone through lots of change. Change is inevitable and you have to be able to work with it, accept, embrace and move forward if you want to be part of the solutions and make a difference.
If I may say so I have a great deal of respect for the work he has done and his commitment to improving the lives of those living with mental illness and substance use.
Making the decision to retire can be a challenge, as there are many factors to consider, financial always looms in the forefront, your own health, and the work you do. Is it a good time to retire — will this work that I have been doing be completed, if you are on a special project. He first said he was retiring in 2010 or was throwing around the idea, and then that changed when there was some restructuring and new projects to see through.
The work in Interior Health will never be done, there are always new challenges and projects, and day to day business to carry on. It will carry on with others who are as committed and caring.
So now he will experience change in a new way. I am personally glad that he is retiring so he can have more fun in his life. He was way more responsible in his youth than I and went right from university to his career. I got sidetracked in my 20s, travelled lots, lived in Ft. McMurray, Los Angeles, Toronto, London, Key West, Banff, sailed the Caribbean, drove across the States and had many adventures in between, while I finished my degree. Then we came to Vernon and I settled quite nicely into motherhood, career and community life.
I am not retiring. He has a long list of what he would like to do and I think learning to prepare delicious and healthy meals is at the top.
When your work has been such a big part of your life, not going to work every day and having that “work identity” can require a transition period as you learn to fill your time with new activities, and find new roles for yourself. Lumberjack may be one for my darling, as we have a great deal of work to be done at the cottage involving trees. As a golfer, he will have more time to spend on the fairways now. He’ll be the captain as he cruises around Okanagan Lake and other local lakes on the pontoon boat. He’ll be a volunteer as he finds his way into different organizations; there are many options.
It is an interesting time in our lives and I think, “where did the time go?” We were in our 20s discovering our way with bold ideas, 30s parenting and making the way in the career, moving up in the 40s and becoming more sure of ourselves, 50s leading, confident and now 60 and a totally new adventure lies ahead. (I am not 60, he is. I am much younger.)
The way I see it many people work very hard for decades to get to this place of “retirement” and what I hope is that we are able to enjoy great health in order to enjoy having carefree days or what I have mostly heard is extremely busy days, since so many say “I don’t know I ever fit work into my schedule now that I am retired.”
There are wonderful days ahead to have fun, enjoy the freedom of choice and continue to make a difference in your community. And I hope he goes barefoot more often, climbs more mountains, and eats ice cream.
Michele Blais is a Vernon Realtor and a longtime columnist with The Morning Star, writing on a wide variety of topics and appearing every other Sunday.
