Tell us about your first day at something – school, work, as a parent, etc. – The daily writing prompts asking me to reach way back again. Let’s see, what’s a good first day story.

It’s been a long while since the recommendations they suggested (work, school, parent) have happened. And while becoming a parent was one of the greatest experiences in my life, I think I’ll go with another story today. Let’s see, what’s a recent first? Ah, I got it now. My first day of retirement.

The date was 12/31/23. New Years Eve and New Years Day is one of the many holidays I’ve worked for years. But this one was going to be different. In some ways it felt like the ending of a back to back marathon. There was exhilaration and great tiredness at the same time. A sense of great accomplishment and relief.

I think I remember sitting down at the computer as I normally would for work about 7pm on New Years Eve. Except I remember this smile I couldn’t stop. Here I am, DONE. 5+ decades of devotion to tasks in the books. The job is complete. Maximum effort given. A feeling of both pride and amazement at the same time came over me.

Next there were feelings of fear of the unknown ahead, side by side with all the excitement about my plans for the future. Retirement came about a year early for me. I wasn’t planning on turning in the papers till the following year but The Post had lost a ton of money that year and was making cutbacks, so I had a good opportunity to leave and I took it.

I remember having to stand up the first few hours every 10 minutes or so to pace or duck wall through the basement because it was such a strange feeling to feel that stress peel away. I remember things seeming different and that feeling hasn’t changed since. It’s GREAT and I hope I get some more time to enjoy it because I feel I’ve sacrificed a lot along the way. And now this is my reward in ways.

Freedom was mine. I started to run a reel of thoughts and memories over the years. I had pangs of letting go of skills I worked on perfecting for decades. I smiled with good memories of some of my favorite managers and coworkers. I think I remember raising my middle finger upward and uttering a few names and saying goodbye to some past management that I locked horns with over the years. Thankfully I had many more good ones than bad.

So I did something that first day of retirement that I hadn’t for many years before. I stayed up to see the New Year in like I always had, but then I went to sleep instead of staying up all night working till about 7am. I woke refreshed for a change and feeling like a new person.

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