The Genie Affect: 2 Years of Retirement

The genie is out of the bottle. Two years in (almost) and my retirement days still look the same. Frequent Walk & Talks have become a character on social media as a content creator. Starting my own business was necessary. Grocery shopping regularly for dinner is pleasurable. Working out has brought a total physical transformation. Washing dishes has become therapy in my determination to keep a clean kitchen. As for speaking engagements, those are pursued sparingly the further I’ve gotten away from my career in education. And although math is a passion, the need to set consistent appointments to tutor at a designated time each day or week is still burdensome. I enjoy freedom! The anxiety that overtook me suddenly my last two years of service has been buried. My alarm clock? What is that? Although I still get up early. My contact list is minimum, as I have nowhere to be per se.

It’s been a journey of self-discovery, a hermetic one during the workday. I’m sure opportunities abound, but these opportunities also existed before retirement. What didn’t exist is everything mentioned above. The willingness and ability to continue to be a contributor to education is still there; however, it looks different. I take that back. I look at things differently. I look different at the systems in place, and therefore, I speak different. As a leader, I am different; expect different. I am definitely different. The spaces I once occupied cannot contain what has been created under two years of complete peace, reflection, and refinement. And even though my career was experienced at a high level of success, the abilities I once displayed pale in comparison to what I’d bring today. The authentic old me, the one that was successful, with timeless strategies, can be found in my books. The current problem? Putting the genie back inside the bottle!