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Post by Think Floyd on Mar 13, 2021 3:40:29 GMT -5
... and soon I'll be free! I just got home from turning in my badge, ID, and uniforms, and hung out for a few hours at the jail to say good-bye to my co-workers. As of 0700 hours (that's 7 am for you civilians  ) on 3/13 I will officially be retired after 30 years (29 years and 50 weeks... close enough) working at our local County Jail as a Corrections Officer. I've read the retirement threads posted by other members here, so now it's my turn! I'm 60 1/2, which is too young for Social Security and Medicare. And, my pension doesn't include health insurance, so I'll have to find another job with health benefits for the next 4 1/2 years until I can fully retire at 65. I was hoping to stay until 62, but stress from the job started affecting my mental health, which then affected my physical health, so basically my body told me that it was time to go. I've been out sick for a while, and decided that I just wasn't going back. I had a heart attack 5 1/2 years ago, and didn't want to take the chance that this job might give me a second one. Since I'm planning on getting another job, I won't have to worry about finding things to keep me busy. At my next job, I want to continue working the midnight shift as I've been doing it for many, many years and I really like working these hours (as evidenced by the fact that it's after 3 in the morning and I'm still wide awake). And, I've barely touched my guitar over the past few years, so I'm hoping that a fresh new start will give me the motivation to pick it up again, and that my next job's work schedule will allow me to look for another band to join. When I finally go to bed I'll go to sleep knowing that when I wake, everything about the jail and the 30 years I spent there will no longer be considered my present life, but will forevermore be my past, and I'll be on Day #1 of my future. |
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Post by rickyguitar on Mar 13, 2021 5:11:03 GMT -5
Good on ya bro!
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Post by Ragtop on Mar 13, 2021 6:22:45 GMT -5
Congrats on your retirement. That's a tough job you had. Glad you got to walk away on your own terms.
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Post by gato on Mar 13, 2021 6:57:10 GMT -5
I retired from my LEO position at 51, and from my vantage point of now being 73, I can assure you that there IS life after retirement.
I'm sure what you'll miss most from your job (other than your co-workers) is that special "jail fragrance". (on my department, every deputy works a couple of years in the county jails)
Nothing like "eau de mop bucket," mixed with sweat, overflowing toilets, dirty laundry and stinky feet. You can kiss all that goodbye..... well, not literally, I hope.
Congrats on achieving Second Life status!
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Post by Sharkie on Mar 13, 2021 7:56:58 GMT -5
It sounds like you were ready to pull the pin. Congrats on the retirement. 👍
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Post by Leftee on Mar 13, 2021 8:32:02 GMT -5
Great decision! Very happy for you. 😎
No job should do someone in.
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Ayns
Wholenote
Posts: 767
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Post by Ayns on Mar 13, 2021 8:32:10 GMT -5
Congratulations and welcome to the club.  |
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Post by HenryJ on Mar 13, 2021 8:54:30 GMT -5
When I finally go to bed I'll go to sleep knowing that when I wake, everything about the jail and the 30 years I spent there will no longer be considered my present life, but will forevermore be my past, and I'll be on Day #1 of my future. Congratulations on retirement. Best wishes on finding a job with health benefits. But at night, when you are asleep, you will dream that you are still working in your old job. This is probably normal. If you don't, then great for you! |
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Post by oldnjplayer on Mar 13, 2021 9:12:10 GMT -5
Congratulations on your retirement. Good luck with that new job.
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Ayns
Wholenote
Posts: 767
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Post by Ayns on Mar 13, 2021 9:18:05 GMT -5
When I finally go to bed I'll go to sleep knowing that when I wake, everything about the jail and the 30 years I spent there will no longer be considered my present life, but will forevermore be my past, and I'll be on Day #1 of my future. Congratulations on retirement. Best wishes on finding a job with health benefits. But at night, when you are asleep, you will dream that you are still working in your old job. This is probably normal. If you don't, then great for you! I retired a couple of months ago, and I don’t think about work at all. I do however *dream* about work a lot, which is weird, as I never used to when I worked. |
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Mar 13, 2021 9:24:01 GMT -5
Congrats!
A really interesting and fun job for an LE-related retiree is courthouse bailiff. Many city/county/state court systems have bailiff programs that are full time or part time.
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Post by LTB on Mar 13, 2021 9:25:28 GMT -5
Congratulations and welcome to the retirement club! I retired a little over a year ago at age 67 and was more than ready. I stayed until Mrs. LTB turned 65 and could get on Medicare.
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Post by Taildragger on Mar 13, 2021 12:49:34 GMT -5
"I will officially be retired after 30 years (29 years and 50 weeks... close enough) working at our local County Jail as a Corrections Officer"
If it was me, first on the agenda would be a long, hot shower.
Maybe several long, hot showers...
Congrats and enjoy!
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Post by Think Floyd on Mar 13, 2021 13:58:09 GMT -5
"I will officially be retired after 30 years (29 years and 50 weeks... close enough) working at our local County Jail as a Corrections Officer" If it was me, first on the agenda would be a long, hot shower. Maybe several long, hot showers... Congrats and enjoy! What? A shower? And wash off that heady, intoxicating jail stench? Listen; as we get older our brains may not be as sharp and our memories may fade, but that jail stench is forever! |
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Post by Larry Madsen on Mar 13, 2021 14:10:23 GMT -5
When I finally go to bed I'll go to sleep knowing that when I wake, everything about the jail and the 30 years I spent there will no longer be considered my present life, but will forevermore be my past, and I'll be on Day #1 of my future. I like the sound of that. Best wishes on the first day of your new existence. |
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Post by Think Floyd on Mar 13, 2021 14:24:31 GMT -5
I retired from my LEO position at 51, and from my vantage point of now being 73, I can assure you that there IS life after retirement. I'm sure what you'll miss most from your job (other than your co-workers) is that special "jail fragrance". (on my department, every deputy works a couple of years in the county jails) Nothing like "eau de mop bucket," mixed with sweat, overflowing toilets, dirty laundry and stinky feet. You can kiss all that goodbye..... well, not literally, I hope. Congrats on achieving Second Life status! Working night shift, we have to check on the inmates by looking through a metal screened opening in the cell door using our flashlight. So, if you want a good look, you need to get your face up close to that screen. I will definitely not miss looking into a cell and having that "funk" hit me square in the face! Even worse is working the Mental Health / Psych Units with "troubled" inmates "decorating" their cells with bodily liquids and solids. |
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Post by Think Floyd on Mar 13, 2021 14:27:00 GMT -5
When I finally go to bed I'll go to sleep knowing that when I wake, everything about the jail and the 30 years I spent there will no longer be considered my present life, but will forevermore be my past, and I'll be on Day #1 of my future. I like the sound of that. Best wishes on the first day of your new existence. You know, when I wrote that, I thought it sounded rather poetic. But, when I woke up, I didn't feel any different... guess it hasn't hit me yet! |
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Post by Ricketi on Mar 13, 2021 14:31:42 GMT -5
Congrats! Heres to a long and enjoyable retirement. Cheers
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Post by thumbpicker on Mar 13, 2021 21:06:51 GMT -5
Good you're getting out. The last few years at my job was run around and try to stay busy. After flying all over and troubleshooting problems for 32 years prior to that I just hated going in a shop and having to look for something to do. You'll take a while to get used to it but learning something new or going to a different place every day will feel good to you I hope. Good Luck!
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Post by jhawkr on Mar 13, 2021 21:23:03 GMT -5
30 years working a jail? That’s like 60 years as a civilian! Congratulations and you deserve retirement!
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Post by Think Floyd on Mar 13, 2021 23:03:31 GMT -5
30 years working a jail? That’s like 60 years as a civilian! Congratulations and you deserve retirement! Actually, I made it a lot easier by working the night shift. But, over the years, the young inmates coming in kept getting more and more violent with less and less respect for authority. And, with the State closing the State Hospitals due to budgetary concerns, mentally disturbed inmates that would normally go to a psych hospital would now stay in our jail. So, where night shift used to be "fairly" quiet, it has become crazier and more hectic than it has ever been. |
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Post by HeavyDuty on Mar 14, 2021 0:28:30 GMT -5
Congrats on a well-deserved retirement from one career, and on the beginning of a (short) new one!
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Post by k9bigdog on Mar 14, 2021 7:28:15 GMT -5
Congrats and welcome to the club! I retired at the end of 2019 after almost 34 years with the Sheriff's Office. It'll take a little bit to get adjusted to a new routine but you will really come to enjoy it. I'm not completely out of the business yet, I went back to the department in a part-time capacity, mostly doing administrative work and training. It gives me something to do a couple days a week and I get to maintain my "active duty" status and make a few bucks. I have to admit though that I thought I would miss the job more and I can confidently say that I could walk away completely now and be just fine.
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Post by gato on Mar 14, 2021 8:53:00 GMT -5
Congrats and welcome to the club! I retired at the end of 2019 after almost 34 years with the Sheriff's Office. It'll take a little bit to get adjusted to a new routine but you will really come to enjoy it. I'm not completely out of the business yet, I went back to the department in a part-time capacity, mostly doing administrative work and training. It gives me something to do a couple days a week and I get to maintain my "active duty" status and make a few bucks. I have to admit though that I thought I would miss the job more and I can confidently say that I could walk away completely now and be just fine. For years after I retired, I would find myself in my civilian car, automatically reaching for the non-existent spotlight handle, whenever I saw something hinky in the dark. And the dreams ... yup ... even now they will pop up in the middle of the night. |
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Post by LTB on Mar 15, 2021 14:07:54 GMT -5
Congrats and welcome to the club! I retired at the end of 2019 after almost 34 years with the Sheriff's Office. It'll take a little bit to get adjusted to a new routine but you will really come to enjoy it. I'm not completely out of the business yet, I went back to the department in a part-time capacity, mostly doing administrative work and training. It gives me something to do a couple days a week and I get to maintain my "active duty" status and make a few bucks. I have to admit though that I thought I would miss the job more and I can confidently say that I could walk away completely now and be just fine. For years after I retired, I would find myself in my civilian car, automatically reaching for the non-existent spotlight handle, whenever I saw something hinky in the dark. And the dreams ... yup ... even now they will pop up in the middle of the night. Yeah I have some reoccurring dreams of work but always my 1st job at DFW Airport and not the last one that lasted 14 years but the are now occuring less often. |
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Buster
Wholenote
Posts: 213
Formerly Known As: Buster Strings
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Post by Buster on Mar 15, 2021 17:15:54 GMT -5
Congratulations! I hope to be joining you in four or five months.
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Post by Seldom Seen on Mar 15, 2021 18:40:06 GMT -5
Way to go! You may be entering unknown territory but it beats the heck out of work-related health issues.
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Post by WireDog on Mar 15, 2021 19:08:55 GMT -5
Congratulations! I don’t know how you did it, putting up with all that disfunction for so long. Guitar playing, right??
I retired from working when I hit 66 yo several months ago. My plan was to do nothing for a solid month, but my wife had other plans. I’m busy as heck, but at least I get to do everything at my own cadence.
Tell us some stories about your adventures from time to time!
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) on 3/13 I will officially be retired after 30 years (29 years and 50 weeks... close enough) working at our local County Jail as a Corrections Officer. I've read the retirement threads posted by other members here, so now it's my turn!
