dmccarty
Super Star Member
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Dan...I can see how that early job formed your perception of how to arrange your life later on. Most people don't get an insight like that until it's too late or they do finally grow up and the window of time has closed.
For me...Home life was not so good as a kid. I left home and was on my own. It was sink or swim. And that brought independence and self reliance. As I worked my way into a career, there was a reorganization at work with layoffs. I went through a couple in my career. I feel that feeling of panic and helplessness to this day. After that first one, I decided that if I survived that...I would do all I could to become as financially independent as possible and not have to ever go through something like that again. More than just luck. Living below our means and not just living in the present and pissing all you make away buying stuff. With my retirement, I essentially will be financially independent and not have to ever work a job again. That's how I look at retirement.
I have worked for a variety of employers both private, state, city and Federal. They are all different, yet all the same. :laughing::laughing::laughing:
Since I have a couple parallel career paths and worked at different places so I have a different perspective than others I work with who have only had one employer. We have had layoffs for years, tens of thousands of lost jobs, layoffs happen at least once a year, and you just have to learn to deal with it. I have seen some who have been torn up by the stress and it surely is stressful. Along with panic and helplessness is the hit to ego and self worth, plus the sudden loss of coworkers and friends. Layoffs are just a real beat down. At least today, it is easy to stay in touch with people through email and social media, which was not possible just a few short years ago. I keep in touch with some of the people who were fired over the years and I do think that contact helps them move along. It still is not easy but at least they are not completely cut off from the people they have known for years.
Email and social media can also help people who are retiring to maintain their contacts. One of the difficulties in leaving a job, retirement or otherwise, is loosing contact with coworkers/friends. Social media and email can really help make leaving a bit easier.
Later,
Dan