Today I entered full retirement by severing my last
links with my old job. I travelled to London to return my IT kit. This was both
an enjoyable occasion and a shock. Lets get to the shock first; I had to put on
socks. No big deal you say, but I have not worn socks for about six weeks, and
it feels good. This allied to getting out of bed at 6am made me realise how
good retirement is. I do not like socks, it has taken me 60 years to get to
this life affirming opinion.
Actually returning my computers was just an excuse to
see former colleagues and good friends Mark and Rodney for lunch and a good
talk. I swiftly concluded when I retired that it was not the work that I missed
but the people that I worked with, at least the good guys. Over tapas we had a
good talk, about personal things and inevitably some gossip about work. It was
great to catch-up and reminded me what good guys Mark and Rodney are.
Inevitably with time train tickets there was quite a
lot of downtime in London. I occupied that fully by walking the streets (21,000
steps today), drinking coffee and generally observing things. I noticed one
stunning simple improvement. For what seems like forever they have been renovating
the public spaces in the Barbican. Now finished the most magnificent beds of
wild flowers have been planted. They contrast brilliantly with the brutalist
architecture of the Barbican
However even walking the backstreets as I mostly did,
I could not but notice the incessant traffic and in particular when you are
around such road hubs as Kings Cross the pollution. It certainly makes a
constriction in the throat. Do you know the first thing that hit me when I got
of the train in Scarborough tonight, the smell of the sea. The tangy, salty
aroma hit me immediately, bliss. Retirement is pretty good!!!!
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