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See that road above? That's part of the route I drove to work for twenty five years. The opposite lane is, obviously I suppose, the route I drove home for work over that same time span.
Twenty five years.
Wow.
It doesn't feel that long, truly, it doesn't.
So, I was listening to music, fiddling around (no, not literally) and the music I was listening to filled me with a deep nostalgia for what had been, but was now no more.
Kinda weird, innit?
I mean I sort of looked forward to retirement, but I had finally reached a point in my career where I was a "subject matter expert." Oh, I had been for a long time a "SME" on weapons systems, it's just that no one paid attention.
Once I got onto the right project, it was as if a light had been turned on in the ranks of middle management. Of course, I finally had the right type of middle management. People who wanted to make a difference, not just people chasing metrics and attending all the latest process du jour classes. That really did count in some people's eyes.
But I truly was at the top of my game. Then things began to change.
A new manager was somehow appointed over our project who literally didn't know his ass from his elbow. Within the first few months of his new regime, at least two people, very good people, left the company. Not just the project, but the company. Because of this guy.
After a while I decided that it was time to pull the plug, before this new person's influence screwed things up. So I retired.
Do I miss it? Yes, yes, I do. Especially most of my co-workers, most especially my old boss. After years of getting overlooked by the company's software department, she transferred to systems. She kept the same job in the lab but now she was promoted and paid significantly more than she had been.
Better news followed some months after I retired, that new manager? Fired.
Not just from the project but from the company. Made me smile that did.
Maybe my old company had learned. We shall see.
Would I go back?
I really don't know, I'm enjoying not having to get up early, not having to be at someone else's beck and call. But for my old boss? Yes, I'd go back, for her. She was that good.
But there's an old saying, you can't go home again.
And the place that was home for twenty five years isn't the same anymore.
But my old boss has things well in hand and she has a good team.
I do miss the old job sometimes, I miss working with her all of the time.
Good people she is.
I wish her well.
Kinda wished I'd worked one more year, but ...
Water under the bridge, my friends.
Water under the bridge.
Your leaving was one more nail in the idiot-boss's coffin. If you had NOT left, he might not have been fired.
ReplyDeleteClearly, he was the captain of a sinking ship. That may not have been the exact reason they gave for firing him but it was the reason they looked closely at his operation.
Very much a Catch-22. If you stay, so does the Pr!k of Misery. If you and the other core-talent leave, then it gets attention that spikes the idiot-boss's career or gets him fired.
The big reason for his firing was mouthing off to the customer. When told to restrain himself, he mouthed off to the big boss. Bye bye.
DeleteI'd like to think my leaving propelled him down the path to termination, but I doubt it.
Something to be said for your time now being your own.
ReplyDeleteThere is that.
DeleteKinda leaning towards the way ERJ is thinking Sarge. What's done is done.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, water under the bridge and you can't go home again.
DeleteNo matter what, the culture of that company will have changed. It's nice to have a person in a boss position that inspires loyalty such as you expressed, "But I truly was at the top of my game." Where would you go? Only direction from the South Pole is north. As you say, "water under the bridge." (which, I guess, beats water IN the bridge)
ReplyDeleteI doubt that the culture of the company changed, it wasn't that bad. Just one guy messing up our backyard, who is now gone. I can live with that.
DeleteI was at the top of my game and could have stayed right there, comfortably, for a while longer. But as the movie character said, "I'm tired boss."
The rudest thing I've ever heard said at an academic dinner occurred thus. A youngster on our academic staff was about to leave us to take a promoted post at another university so we were giving him a farewell dinner. One participant had invited himself along: the Head of Department in that other university who was soon to move to our university and become our new Head of Department.
ReplyDeleteThe young chap stood up to say a few words. He started with "I have been told that the problem I will have in my new post is that I will be much the cleverest chap in my new department ..." Chuckles of appreciation from us, then he turned to the relocating Head of Department and said "... quite the opposite of your problem."
Stunned silence. Mutter, mutter - did he really say what I think he said? Yes, good grief, he did. Etc.
Why do I tell this tale? Because the young chap proved right: after a few years the department rose in rebellion and got rid of its new, dud head.
Which is not an easy stunt to pull off in an ancient university.
Now that is a good story.
DeleteIt might be a good idea to make early to rise a part of your life as long as possible followed by turn to because that can fool the body and it will continue as before. I’ve found the sudden massive change to the body regulation can lead to severe physical problems.
ReplyDeleteEarly to rise is, for me, 9 AM. Not sure what benefit many people find in arising at the butt crack of dawn. Many think it's some sort of accomplishment. I do not.
DeleteThe only constant in life is change. First time I drove back through my old stomping grounds on assignment, I found an oldies station playing music from my youth. It was midnight, and I was on VERY familiar ground. Except for the newer dash panel (74 Fury was long gone), I was instantly 20 years younger. Music is a time machine. And it was disconcerting to say the least. Kind of like that movie, The Family Man.
ReplyDeleteAfter the forced benching, I realized that I was basically a new hire after 6 months of inactivity. I still know what I know, but institutional knowledge doesn't stand still. Independent consulting has helped keep my hand and my head busy and challenged. Find your purpose and get after it.
Music is definitely a time machine.
DeleteI have found my new purpose, write, play and listen to music, read, and spoil my grandchildren. Oh, and wargames, lots and lots of wargames, things I have time for now.
Keeping secrets from us? You have barely mentioned wargames, although you did use splendid photos of wargame miniatures in the Waterloo series. Are there different types of wargames? Single player running both sides, or multiple players --one for each, or an army commander and several subordinates? Are these board games (like Gettysburg which I and a future Army Colonel played in junior high school) or web based?
DeleteJB
All of the above, actually. I should really post about that. I grew up playing board games, Avalon Hill's Afrika Korps was my first. I think I paid 8 bucks for it, new!
DeleteHey! You don't even need to have a signed Leave Slip to go visit your family. (Especially for the next couple of months).
Deletejuvat
I don't?
DeleteSweet! 😉
I (retired) awake at 06:00 (or earlier). No hope of getting back to sleep. Arise, take meds, start charging phone, perform bathroom functions, dress, eat breakfast, then retire to the sofa at 08:00 for the first nap of the day.
DeleteI usually wake up at 0500, been doing that for years. I go to the bathroom and in the past, I'd get ready for work.
DeleteNow? I go back to bed.
Sarge, I went through pretty much the same thoughts and emotions 5 years ago when I retired from the school district. I slept a lot, watched the tube, surfed the net. Then this Lady told me to get off my dead ass, gave me a list of chores that were now my responsibility and told me to find a hobby.
ReplyDeleteThe turn around was amazing,
Sarge, you and the Mrs will get through this funk and be fine. As a wise (ass) man frequently says “ Never give up, Never surrender!”
juvat
It's a momentary funk caused by the alignment of the music, recent events in my life, and still getting used to not working anymore.
DeleteIt has already passed. Now I just need to survive the two months my wife will be visiting Korea with her sisters! I expect a lot of time in Maryland is in my immediate future.
Sarge, twice in my life I have had the opportunity to return a company I left. The first one was over 20 years ago: I had left for a different type of job and returned 1.5 years later for a different field (Quality Assurance). In my absence, the company had drastically changed, have gone through a downsizing and relocation and complete change of focus. Some of the people were the same but a lot were not; it was a shell of its former self. Leaving to follow the manager that had hired me was not a difficult decision.
ReplyDeleteThe second time was after my second layoff in 2023. Technically I was "on leave", and could be recalled about 8 months later. But that was not a guarantee and even if it was, did I really want to go back to that environment? The answer was no, and to New Home 2.0 we went.
One of the greatest struggles I have ever had is acknowledging that one can never really step into the same river twice, as Heraclitus said. It is hard sometimes: the memories are good, and what I have now seems so different and sometimes so much less. But I have to remind myself that even if I go back to that place or person or organization, it will never be the same: they, too, have changed. And the longer I am away, the greater the change.
(As a note, I agree with ERJ. Your departure may have helped matters for everyone else. And there is nothing more frustrating than to carry the burden of a mediocre manager.)
He was so much more than mediocre, the man was effing toxic.
DeleteGo back? Nope, but if she asked, I would. To work for her and her alone.
Was there any exit interview for those that up and quit, or for retirees to let them know about his toxicity? As for going back- sounds like you are having a lot of fun not working, probably more fun than you had there. Good people, yes, but you can meet good people not working too!
ReplyDeleteNo exit interviews, the 30-somethings run the departments now, those in software are spectacularly incompetent when it comes to personnel management.
DeleteRemind me to check my mutual funds for Raytheon stock.
DeleteYour stock should be fine, Raytheon has a tradition of succeeding in spite of middle management, not because of.
DeleteBe careful on that road, you already got ambushed by Bambi once. Sneaky critters they are, and they don't care a fig if you are on your way to work or just making a beer run, they can sneak out and getcha.
ReplyDeleteJB
It wasn't that road where Bambi kamikazed me. But they are sneaky, and not really cognizant of motor vehicles, so I keep a weather eye out for them. No matter where I'm driving!
DeleteI've never really retired. Now days I work at what I want, that interests me. Probably not for everyone but for me, the challenges are stimulating. During midlife, I heard a trainer say, "Winners do what losers won't". I took that to heart and it has served me well. You might create a role as an available troubleshooter.
ReplyDeleteI am very content with not working. Besides which, in my line of work things move so fast that if you're out of the game long enough, you're pretty much done.
DeleteNot to be semantic about it, Sarge; but you ARE working! Don't confuse "employment" with productive work such as grandparenting, writing and such.
DeleteBoat Guy
Ah, but when you love it, it's not really "work." That being said, I did love my old job.
DeleteWhat's done is done. No second guessing, even if you did make the right decision. You've now got your whole life before you, enjoy!
ReplyDeleteTwo months down south in Maryland while The Missus is out and about sounds much nicer than a daily drive and slog. After all, you can always, if bored by life with the grands, go exploring down in that area. Especially now that the DC area is mucho safer. You can daytrip down to Udvar-Hazy and the Air & Space and see everything at your pace.
Weee... Have fun, on your time. Wake up when you want, go to sleep when you want, go pretty much where you want.
That's the plan.
DeleteJust be aware that the docent program at Hazy was switched from Education ( this is how it flies etc.) to Visitor Services (the McDonalds is upstairs to the left, etc.) right before COVID and has never been restarted. Upside is plenty of time to look at the information labels, and the downside is there is so much more information that is there but not on the labels. I'm a label reader, so I tend to slow things down.
DeleteUdvar-Hazy is great idea Beans! Love the A&S on the Mall too! Even if they're "wax museums" ( non-flying) they have THE Real Thing!
DeleteRob Gale
Iron City - There is that, but everything is nicely labeled (as you say). My biggest beef is that I can't touch the aircraft. I mean, I know why, the public is not very respectful of history. But Udvar-Hazy is worth a visit.
DeleteRob Gale - I love 'em both. They are non-flying, which bugs me a bit, but many of them are incredible historical artifacts. Well worth a visit, or twelve!
DeleteYou "can" touch our aircraft - there are no ropes in our pavilion - we ask that you don't - and we have historic artifacts ( Brewster Corsair, P-38F) Seeing them fly -as they are intended to do - is the real treat.
DeleteRob
I'm sure that, if in info-trouble, OAFS could always use his smartphone to find info. That is, if there's questions that he doesn't already have the answers to.
DeleteAfter all, he's the guy who pointed out to the Smiths that the paint scheme for a bomber they were working on was already known in the modelling world. If I remember the story right.
Rob - It's what I like about the air museum at Pungo on Virginia. You can get up close to the aircraft and they all fly. Last time I was there the WW1 birds, replicas, were off-limits. Too many stupid people damaging the fabric.
DeleteBeans - With all the AI crap out there, I don't trust my phone as much as I used to.
DeleteI think on the Smith story that's someone else, not me.