Who's Happy Now?

It's been awhile since my last blog. Time to write something. I finally retired January 2012 from bus driving. Worked until I reached 66 years old. I was a bit scared of retiring thinking that "how can I retire on less than half my salary." It's amazing how much a person spends when working. Travelling back and forth to work, clothes, snacks, eating out more because the cash is available, more maintenance on the car, etc, etc. I guess that old adage is true, "one ups his spending to the level of his income."

I worried too, about what I would do with my idle time.  I have discovered that sleeping in when I feel like it is great, I have had time to write a book, I love to read, I love to cook more than I thought I would, I have time to have coffee with friends, I have time to sit and watch the world go by if I want to, it's all great. I have done a little oil painting, carved up a bit of cedar, and spent some time writing poetry. A lot more fun than working! lol

I am surprised to realize how caught up with the so-called "rat race" I was. I never really understood what that was until I wasn't in it any more. The hurry up and go nowhere of traffic congestion. The madcap race on the free-ways - keep up or die. The urgency of getting somewhere on time. It all wears on a person and certainly becomes difficult to let go of even after a 3 week vacation in the wilderness.  No, I don't miss it!

My life has grown so much simpler in the past 2 years. No real stresses to speak of, at least nowhere near what used to be. Could use a few more dollars but money isn't everything. By the look of me, I'm certainly not starving to death.

I have to admit that I feel proud to have survived 16 years of performing the job with very few complaints from my passengers and zero physical assaults. I must have been doing something right. I learned over the years to appreciate the job for what it gave me; a decent living wage, benefits, independent working conditions, a chance to overcome my fear of difficult and intimidating people and to learn how to deal with them without packing a gun. What an education it was.

Retirement is the best thing that happened to me. Come on down, the water is warm and not over your head.