Today is November 1, 2020, and I am now officially retired. With most local/state/federal entities, you are required to retire on the first of a given month. This usually means working up to the final day of the proceeding month (28th, 29th {leap year}, 30th or 31st). This is relatively easy to do if your work schedule happens to include the weekends on weekly basis (e.g. hospitals, prison facilities, detention centers). Not easy if you work a traditional M-F schedule (like myself).
Thus, my last official working day was Friday October 30, 2020.
It was interesting to say the least, in that 1} we're hip deep in global (IMO a man-made) pandemic, which means that 2} our department has a maximum allowance of "4 employees"at any given time and 3} there weren't a heck of a lot of employees in the building to begin with.
So I was only able to say a personal goodbye to about a baker's dozen of staff members, including a few co-workers. I did receive a few nice gifts, including food, gift cards and electronics. I actually did some work, which normally takes about 45 minutes, and managed to stretch it out to about 4 hours. In addition to all the fun stuff, I created a few necessary e-mails. One was the outgoing bounce back that basically said it was a pleasure doing business with everyone, I had great time, met some great people and who you need to contact with questions about your payroll going forward.
The other was a rather personal good bye to my immediate co-workers. I would like to share that e-mail with everyone here. And if I extrapolate from the response from one co-worker who had forwarded me the e-mail (silly me neglected to cc myself on it), I think I managed to touch some emotion with it. So my friends, let me know what you think.
Note: even though I spent 14 1/2 years at my last agency, I only spent the past 7+ years with this last group of outstanding co-workers.
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Good afternoon to one and all,
It's October 30, 2020, and a somewhat dreary snowy day to end one's working career on. In an curiously odd twist of fate, I'm ending my state and DCF career the same way I had entered DCF back in May 2006: by myself with no one really around to greet me (or in this case) or say good bye.
While I had entered DCF all by my lonesome after a tumultuous two year stint at DOC, I am leaving DCF on a high note, comforted by the fact that I'm leaving behind co-workers who I consider to be a genuinely close part of my extended family. I am honored and privileged to be allowed entry into a small sliver of your personal lives and I believe it has made me an all-around better person. And I'm glad that with everyone showing me a small sliver of their personal lives, it gave me the confidence to, being the actual semi-introvert that I am, share a sliver (medium-sized at best) of my personal life with everyone.
I will truly miss the camaraderie as the reality that is retirement slowly starts to sink in on November 2nd, as well as the richness of the tapestry that is called "the working life". I will always have fond memories of everyone that I have worked with in Payroll for the past 7+ of the 14 ½ years spent at DCF. Believe me when I say that I leave my job with a slightly heavy heart and a few tears in my eyes.
Thank you once again for showing me the all that you are and the all that you have become.
I am forever your friend,
George
That is really nice. Well said, sir. Happy retirement!
ReplyDeleteThankee.
DeleteI really wanted to write something that came from the heart, and as I actually started tearing up when I was writing it, I believe that I succeeded one hundred percent.