Wednesday, 23 August 2023

Working in retirement

 

Working in retirement

Many people find when they retire that they do not wish to stop working entirely. Some may volunteer in various capacities, others may opt for a part-time job, perhaps in a large superstore. Such businesses often employ people to greet patrons – a friendly and gracious way to encourage business.

Now, Charlie was just such an employee. He was courteous, took a pride in his appearance and was intelligent and well-liked by everyone. In short, he was an asset to the company. There was one problem, however – every day he was late, sometimes by 5 minutes, others by 10 or even 15 minutes.

One day the boss called him into his office for a chat.

‘Charlie, I must tell you, you do a fantastic job and I like your work ethic, but you’re late for work every day and it could become a problem.’

Charlie said, ‘Yes, I realise that, boss, I’m working on it.’

His boss said, ‘I’m pleased to hear it. It’s rather odd, though, you always coming in late, because you were in the armed forces. What did they say if you arrived late for work then?’

Charlie said, ‘They said, “Good morning, Admiral. Would you like some   coffee now, sir?”’

24 comments:

  1. Cute :)
    You are correct about retirement. After 40 years of having the weekdays planned from 9-5, all of a sudden the days can feel totally unplanned and empty. I meet my family or friends for lunch at the local coffee shop, then I research and write history blog posts and journal articles. But I still miss work.

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    1. I don't miss work. I used to do a bit of supply work but wouldn't have time - or inclination - now.

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  2. I never wanted to work after retiring and I haven't, though I see now how it could have been useful in getting me out of my chair and out of the house. I have friends who did volunteer work after retirement, but don't know if they are still working, all were older than I am. I do like all my "spare" time though, I can read as much as I like, nap when I feel sleepy, stay inside when the weather is too cold or too hot.

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    1. I think the greatest luxury in retirement is not having to go out:-)

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  3. I don't miss going to work at all, but then my daughter and her 3 children live local to me. Hubby drove a mini bus for years, collecting disabled children and taking them to and from school and day centres, he loved it.

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    1. Driving the mini-bus was such a wonderful thing to do.

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  4. HaHa! Yes! Very good..and very true..and still happens
    to~day..."Good morning Prime Minister, one lump or two"..

    I've never stopped working....l still maintain an arm of my
    working life..business and personal consultancy...I'm very
    good at it, and still am...And l still maintain 'Mano a Mano,
    Facia a Facia' is still the best way to do business..forget
    the internet, letter writing or even phone calls..hand on hand,
    cards on the table...! But..then l'm a Sicilian,,it's the way we
    do things..

    What do you call a Navy Admiral who gambles, smokes,
    drinks and does drugs?
    A Vice Admiral...(sorry, best l can do)..! :O).
    🧻 🧻 🧻 🧻 🧻 🧻 🧻🧻 🧻 🧻 🧻 🧻 🧻 🧻🧻

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    1. If working is still enjoyable, there's no reason to stop, is there?

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  5. That's a great story!
    I retired end Feb 2020, three weeks before lock down, so it was an interesting beginning to this phase of life. I do some voluntary work - on a wildflower conservation project and as trustee/secretary of 'Pushing Out the Boat' (a NE Scotland magazine of new writing and art') but I also thoroughly enjoy having more time to pursue my favourite activities (cycling, hillwalking, swimming, dog agility etc) and also, sometimes, as this morning, to reading and taking things easy!
    Cheers, Gail.

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    1. That was a very strange time. It sounds as if you have more than enough to occupy your time:-)

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  6. Hahahaha for once I can laugh about a joke. Usually I find them boring but this one is great.

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  7. Hi Janice - this is great isn't it ... lovely and a story I'll remember - well done Charlie!! Cheers Hilary

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  8. I had a good laugh at Charlie's story :-)
    Not sure what I'll do when I retire, but I definitely don't see myself working for a boss again. One thing I'm looking forward to is being free from the constraints of time, and not having to worry about being late! xxx

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    1. I still have dreams about being late for work and I retired a long time ago!

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  9. Wasn't that a case of pulling rank.

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    1. Not really - it was offered, not ordered.

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  10. That gave me a good laugh too!
    I have to say that I really miss my work ( teaching) but had to stop two years ago, when I became unwell. I was cutting down my hours, gradually, anyway, because I’ve known people go from full time teaching to nothing and then they’ve found it really difficult to adjust. I do find plenty to keep me occupied though! Have a good weekend. 😁

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  11. I didn't miss teaching, but did some supply work for a while, which was a nice way to let go.

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