I have some selfish feelings around the holidays. The problem is that everyone has time off – Not Just Me. It takes away from that special feeling of earning retirement. The stores are packed, highways crowded, and bars busy. Everyone is in a festive mood – Not Just Me. Alarms are turned off, casual attire comes out of the closet, and school-night restrictions stop. Everyone is retired – Not Just Me.

I should feel happy for everyone, but instead I no longer feel special. I realize that if I was still working I would have the day off anyway. It takes away from the magic I feel every day. To make matters worse, most are getting paid to take the day off, while I’m not. I’m dipping into my savings to supplement my pensions that I earned through 50 years of work. I remember that great feeling of having four days off of work, when I too often take it for granted in retirement. Not to brag, but I no longer have just four days off – I have every day off!

As I think about it, I’m also beginning to remember the stress of working and how that pressure carried into vacation days. This makes me feel better, knowing that even though people are getting paid to take the day off, they’re also paying with their peace of mind, dreading all the things they have to do when they return to the office. They also know that their time-off will pass quickly and soon they’ll reset their alarms and be back at their desks, wondering where the time went. The party will quickly be over for them, while I continue to wear my paper hat and eat cake.  

There was a time when my job meant everything to me. I was caught-up in the drive to advance and make more money. This enthusiasm waned over time and evolved into looking forward to the next vacation. Then, I was all too ready for that final step into retirement. It’s amazing how fast the time passed and how my aspirations changed. I’m not sure I could go back and do it again. When I’m around people that work, it reminds me of what it was like. I feel their pain! I think this selfishly explains why I would rather have them working, rather than sharing a day-off with me. Other retirees feel this way, too – Not Just Me!