It was a resounding crash. Life would not be the same. Not by my own choice, I became retired.
The Alcoa Aluminum Corporation decided that because of the cost of making aluminum versus the current price per pound (which was crashing because of China dumping metal on the world market) our local smelter, Intalco Aluminum was not profitable to keep operating.
For 34 years I had the privilege of working for Intalco. They were not always fun or easy years, but they were years where I was able to work with outstanding men and women. I was able to get married and have a family because I had a stable income. They were years that I had respect amongst my fellow employees and was put in positions of leadership.
Toward the end of my employment, by my own choice, I was working 15.5-hour days and 66-hour weeks. This, preparing me for retirement. I had a month in mind that I would retire with full social security which would be 35.25 years with Intalco, and then Alcoa shut us down.
Since I was 16, my jobs have all been hard and long hours. That is what my mind and body was trained to expect. And then in one day I went from 66 hours of work a week to zero. Just like a freeway accident, I had a spectacular crash.
Every man and woman are different as to how they accept a loss of a job or starting retirement. Some will relish the experience as something they have planned for. Some, and I think mostly men, are at a loss of what to do with their lives after the transition.
When your body and mind is used to getting up at a certain hour and going to a place, to people you see every week, and doing a job that defines who you are, you are lost when that stops.
It is like taking opioids daily and suddenly having to go through withdrawal. There is a period of grieving that we go through. There is a period of asking, “What is my value now. What am I supposed to do with my life?”
After 50 years in the work world, I must now acclimate my mind and body to the new way of living and after nine months since leaving Intalco, I am slowly beginning to accept the new life. If you are experiencing the same loss and depression I have gone through, let me share some things that helped me.
First you need a group, either family or friends, to help you transition. I needed help and understanding that I was going through a period of loss but with them giving me slack, I could make it through.
Next, accomplish one thing each day. I was overwhelmed by everything I had before me but if I could do just one thing, I had a sense of accomplishment.
Go places that give you peace. Visit people who give you peace.
Think about all the volunteer requests you were offered while you were working and could not possibly do because you were overwhelmed and had no time. Start investing your time as a volunteer. Make a difference in other people’s lives. You may want to find another part time or seasonal job for extra cash or something to do.
The other thing that I had to remember was that for years my wife had been waiting patiently for me to slow down and work less. Now, I owe my time to her and my family to do the things they missed out on because I was working.
Every day now, I wake up and accept a little bit more that this is the new way of life. I do not have a schedule anymore. If a job does not get done today, it can wait until tomorrow. If the sun is out, we hop on the E-bikes and ride for 35 miles just to see new things from a different perspective.
Transitions are difficult and there can be a lot of black tunnel before you see the light at the end. The thing is . . . If you let it, the light will come.
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