It is official. My retirement has been officially announced at work. I have begun to train the people that will be doing what I used to do at GM. GM Benefits has notified me that they have all the documents necessary to begin my retirement on August 1.
I am extremely grateful to General Motors for the 32 years of numerous job positions that I held in Michigan (Detroit, Troy, Southfield), Israel (Tel Aviv), and Canada (Toronto). One constant was the high quality of people that I worked with during each job. Almost all were extremely competent in their work and good, decent human beings. While I had one career setback due to an overly zealous GM director, my career path worked out extremely well for me and the positive impact of GM leadership far outweighed this one negative. I always had job assignments that were both challenging and significant. And my management always allowed me to make more out of my assignment.
My life at General Motors allowed for an incredible work-life balance for which I truly appreciated. It has allowed me to live a rich life outside of GM as well. I was able to get very involved in my local church, the local community in southwest Detroit, and the local people wherever I lived. I eventually traveled to an unbelievable 32 countries -- the majority thanks to General Motors, including living two years in Israel and one year in Toronto. While I have endured the personal tragedy of death for eight of my children, I look forward to seeing them again in heaven to spend eternity there with them. And in the meantime, here on Earth, I am blessed with an awesome, beautiful wife and a talented, smart, tender-hearted daughter.
I recently heard that an average middle-class American today is better off materially than a 1916 billionaire 100 years ago. I certainly feel that I am and that I have so much to thank God for over the past 32 years -- both at work and in my personal life.
Now I embark on a new adventure during the last 1/3 of my adult life. What it will entail is totally unknown. But I look forward to finding out.
1 comment:
Just make sure you take time for yourself and your family. Many many opportunities will come up over the next few year for a new job with the talent that you have. Hold fast and dedicated in not snatching them up and give yourself the time you need to decompress from your old life and enjoy the freedoms of this new one. In a few years when you are well accustomed to NOT working at GM, then you can make life decisions about the new direction of your life. No hurry regardless what anyone else says. Enjoy the little things for now.
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