When I was 16, I got my first job. I bagged groceries every Thursday and Friday after school and all day on Saturdays. I didn’t mind. I worked with several guys from high school and my new income paid for the 1966 Mustang I loved to drive and be seen in. Great car.

A few weeks ago, after 50 years of working, I sold my business.

It was time. Friends who were already retired told me I’d know when it was. They were right, but the mental shift from “I can do this into my 70’s if I want” to “I’m ready to go, right now” was quicker than I thought it would be.

My work hadn’t changed dramatically in recent years. But I had.

I couldn’t cope with the stress of running a business as easily as I had before. I grew impatient with people management tasks. I thought I hid it pretty well, but I’m sure not as well as I hoped. I knew I had a strong team, but I was tired. What once was no big deal, became onerous.

I dreaded anything requiring multiple steps or extremely detailed analysis. I joked I could find plenty of things to do if I had something on my To Do List I really didn’t want to do. Before this, I’d been so goal-oriented. I’d just bear down and get stuff done.

A year ago, I started taking Fridays off. I looked forward to Thursday afternoon – my new “Friday”. I had 3-day weekends every week! I still liked going into the office though – opening the doors, turning on the lights, even starting the coffee. They were their own rewards. I loved it.

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But, time changes all of us. Retirement is my new reality.

People ask, “What do you do with all this time you have now?”

That’s easy. Margaret is happy she hasn’t been to Publix in weeks.

I cook more meals now. Usually breakfast. Margaret likes my omelets, thin as crepes and stuffed with veggies. She sometimes eats my hashbrowns, but Astro and I eat most of those. He drools on the kitchen floor beside me, wagging his tail.

“Papa, you know whatever you’re eating, I’d like some.”

I like to clean up around the house. Our garage is super organized. So is the pantry. You should see the drawer with all the food storage containers. It delights both of us. I think.

The people at the YMCA recognize me again.

I have time to read, at least until I doze off. Is it a bad thing to fall asleep on your deck?

I write blog post after blog post trying to get ahead of the two per week schedule I’m committed to. It’s tough to be this witty and engaging in 500 words.

And, while I grumble about editing 70,000 word manuscripts, I’m learning to tell a story better. My retirement is the best.