Congratulations and thank you.

Finding a new "mission" often helps with transitions like this. I've had a similar transition, and it helped me.

If you live where I think you live, I know some people who love to help people who do what you just did. These helpers are best qualified when they have a history of actually working the profession. In some time (because I definitely recommend waiting 6-12 months or more first), if you'd like to connect with the organization, let time know. When I was asked to join my current agency I traveled there to do an academy for congruity of training. I met a bunch of awesome folks who've you've probably been working with.

For now...do some things you've always wanted to do but never had the time. I can't wait to hear about your next chapter. With so many possibilities, I'm excited for you!

Congrats and enjoy!!!

Congratulations! I'm 26 years into my career with 9-1-1. The job sure has changed from when we started!

Congratulations Boss, I can relate with all you said regarding your situation. I find myself in the same place as you but about 8 - 12 months in your rear view mirror.

Congrats! Public service isn't a walk in the park: I was one week short of 34 years' service. Just had a glass of champagne to toast my send-off party three years ago. Keep on trucking with the lifestyle changes, they'll help you get the most of the next chapters of your book.

Congratulations, Please enjoy your well earned retirement!

Mike

Congratulations, enjoy.

Well-deserved! Congratulations, and thanks for being "the voice on the other end" for cumulatively thousands of private citizens and officers.

Any cop that doesn't have any "A dispatcher saved my bacon-flavored butt by being REALLY good at what they do" story either has never been fortunate enough to work with good ones, or they've never bothered to leave their car.

Congrats. Hope you make the most of retirement and enjoy the time doing things that are meaningful to you.

Congratulations! I’m especially happy for you on the health and spirituality improvements, those are huge. I wish you the best in your retirement.

How quickly are you going to escape this loony state?

Wow, the response has been overwhelming and unexpected!

Many thanks to all, you don't know how much it means to be recognized for my career by so many people who only know me as some guy online. Really makes it feel like I did make a difference to be recognized outside my peer group.


I've been in my head a lot this past week as I realize it really happened and learning to cope with such a significant change. Without getting too "cerebral", it's weird the connections I've been making as I reflect.

I was baptized in Oct after reconnecting with God, a rebirth of my spirit and soul. My weight loss journey is almost complete, today, for the first time since 1989, my weight has started with the number "1". A rebirth of my physical body making healthy habits and choices in exercise and diet. It is oddly fitting that both of these resurrections come as I end my career. It was that career that contributed in part to the place I was in April when the metamorphosis began. It seems appropriate that I leave it behind as I embrace these changes.

Alpha-Omega-Alpha ~ Beginning, end, and a new beginning. Full circle and now starting a new life.



Some specific comments/replies...

quote:

Originally posted by Tailhook 84:
Congrats and well done, 911Boss! Now all you need to do is ask Para to change your CUT to "Told cops where to go for over 29 years"

Didn't even think of that! - Request made

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
Really hope you enjoy your retirement, Boss. My only advice is find something that you enjoy doing every day (and a couple things is better)...

Already have a few other things, photography and spending time with my aged (15yo) Australian Shepherd. Looking forward to spending more time on both. Also with my improved physical condition I am looking forward to spending time in the great outdoors again, hiking and maybe even camping. Nothing has ever soothed my soul like being in nature.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
What you have done, matters. The universe took note.

And many people know "someone" was on the other end, and cared.

That is all that matters.

Always remember that.

sigmonkey, Dreamerx4, and anyone else with similar sentiments - You'll never know how much this mean to me. You can't do that job without compartmentalizing and turning off your emotions. All those years of being a cold-hearted bastard, I thought emotions were gone. At times I even worried I was just dead inside.

Evidently they have just been deeply buried and I find them now bursting out at times. It is such a good release, even if I do find myself crying like a little bitch

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:
... One of the things I have most enjoyed in retirement has been the hour I spend first thing in the morning, 3-4 times a week exercising. When I worked I might do this for a few months but always found an excuse to quit. With all the time I have now I actually enjoy and look forward to my exercise time and feel so much better.

I've started and stopped more times than I can count over the years. This year was different thankfully. Icing on the cake, this morning I dropped below 200 lbs for the first time since 1989. Definite positive note to end the year.

I was never a gym rat, not even when I was in the Marines. I now have an addiction to my workouts, today makes 180 days straight I have done at least one Peloton ride, and 37 week streak on the bike. While losing weight I have been averaging 2-3 hours working out most days. Soon it will just be 4 days a week and fewer hours.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
Congrats Wayne.

Jerry, 610, and all the others on the "other" end of the radio, thanks for acknowledging the work we Comm Center folks do. It means more than you will ever know to the "clerks" answering the phone and relaying info that you all understand and appreciate the work we do and the stress we deal with.

I promise you, show that to your radio folks and there is nothing they won't do to help you should shit go bad.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
10-4, welcome to the check of the month club.

"Check of the month club" Ha! I love it!!

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bean:
Congrats!!

As for your question on taking a lower pension now or waiting until 65, I always advise taking it ASAP.

1. Enjoy your life now, I don't mean to sound morbid but you never know what can happen between now and 65 years old. You don't want to wait until it's too late...

The 345 lb 911Boss knew he couldn't expect a long period of good health, hence the original plan to retire at 60. If there is one thing I have learned in this job, it is that very few "retire" from it. Burnout and turnover is tremendous. It takes a physical, mental and emotional toll. Not only the calls, but the shift work, the horrors we are exposed to and more. I am truly grateful to have made it to the end relatively unscathed.

After my Dad passed away last year I decided sooner was better and started planning to retire at 59 1/2. Early this year I started doing math and realizing it could happen THIS year. Plan was always to be on SS at 62, even with the hit, it will be in addition to a pretty healthy State retirement program, 401K and Roth accounts.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
Congrats!

I had no thought at all of retirement until suddenly the idea hit me. Then I could scarcely stand the wait for my target date!

Same here, once the seed was planted I realized I was spending a LOT of time thinking about it and running scenarios. Huge weight has been lifted.

quote:

Originally posted by Loswsmith:
Congratulations!! I also want to thank you because without your posts about a rower, I might have delayed in getting one and I love it and regret not getting it sooner.

Glad I was of service, did you get the Costco Proform one? I am enjoying the iFit virtual rowing stuff so much I am toying with the idea of buying a kayak to do the real thing

quote:

Originally posted by wishfull thinker:
...side note; we met at the Bruce Gray thing in Renton that Signified mentioned. As I recall you were picking up a gun.

Anyway, best of luck to you, retirement rocks; even if you find a new gig, you're free in your heart.

OMG, that BG training I had to leave early because I got sicker than a dog. Turned out to be Diverticulitis! Damn near passed out riding my motorcycle home. Was out for the next 10 days, just barely escaped being hospitalized.

"Free at last, free at last!"

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:
15% hit tells me you weighed the cost of sticking it out for another year. I can't blame you.

Congratulations on your dry run and now real retirement.

The initial hit is closer to 25% on the defined benefit amount, but next year when I can access my defined contribution account and then in 2025 when I start to draw SS the hit drops to the 15% point. After doing the math, even with conservative estimates and fudge factor, I realized we should have no problem maintaining our lifestyle. The only real difference is we won't be contributing to savings as we have been able to, the drop in monthly income is just about equal to what we were saving every month. This is what we have been saving for, the safety net is still in place, just shifting to the retirement and investment accounts.

There is a point where "more" doesn't add anything of value and time/peace of mind is worth more.

quote:

Originally posted by AKSuperDually:
Congratulations and thank you.

Finding a new "mission" often helps with transitions like this. I've had a similar transition, and it helped me...

Received your email, will reply later tonight or tomorrow. Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by Chuck Perry:
Congratulations! I'm 26 years into my career with 9-1-1. The job sure has changed from when we started!

That it has! I think back to when I started, wow at least three major different generations of technology. We had seven Supervisors share a single desktop computer with LS120 floppy drive to store our data on. No network drives, laptops, etc.

Radio consoles with switches, dials, analog VU meters, etc. vs. Computer console driving everything in the backroom.

Seems like light years ago. Interestingly so, some (most) things are better as time has progressed but others seems to have gone backwards.

Look for the light at the end of the tunnel, it is there.

quote:

Originally posted by rat2306:
Congrats! Public service isn't a walk in the park: I was one week short of 34 years' service. Just had a glass of champagne to toast my send-off party three years ago. Keep on trucking with the lifestyle changes, they'll help you get the most of the next chapters of your book.

Congrats on getting out alive and for your service as well!

quote:

Originally posted by DennisM:
Well-deserved! Congratulations, and thanks for being "the voice on the other end" for cumulatively thousands of private citizens and officers.

Any cop that doesn't have any "A dispatcher saved my bacon-flavored butt by being REALLY good at what they do" story either has never been fortunate enough to work with good ones, or they've never bothered to leave their car.

Thank you for recognizing the profession as a profession. Even in this day there are far too many who have no idea what it takes.

It really is a unique position that requires a unique skillset, personality, and mentality. I did well in this career with nothing more than a high-school degree and nine years in the Marines for an "education". Over the years we've had extremely intelligent, college educated folks who just couldn't do it.

It isn't about education it is about life skills/experiences, personality, and a mix of literal, logical, checklist, SOP, and "outside the box" abilities that lets someone do the job.

Unfortunately it is getting harder and harder to find folks who are willing and able to do it. Comm Center shortages are rampant across the country, almost getting as bad as finding folks to be cops. Sometimes it actually scares me to think where we will be if things don't change soon.

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:
Congratulations! I’m especially happy for you on the health and spirituality improvements, those are huge. I wish you the best in your retirement.

Thank you. I have been following your posts and you have been in my thoughts and prayers. We aren't that far apart, feel free to reach out if you ever need someone to talk to.

quote:

Originally posted by Voshterkoff:
How quickly are you going to escape this loony state?

That decision is ultimately my mother-in-law's. She is local and I promised my wife we would remain here so long as she is still above ground. She is 80, dementia, strokes, and other medical issues for the past few years so I am afraid it may be sooner than we would prefer. She is like a mother to me, will be missed greatly.

I don't considering spending the time she has left close a hardship at all, but will definitely be leaving when able. I fear this state is trying to outdo CA in alienating it's citizens and destroying quality of life.

Wow, CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Congrats. Give yourself time to sort things out.

Enjoyed reading your replies to the well-wishes. I can tell you are and will remain a thoughtful and service-to-others individual. Glad to read that your wife is there to help you with emotions. Also read with some interest, at age 59.5, that running scenarios can only do so much.

From a volunteer listening to C.O. on our radios for 19 years, thanks for all you did to keep the callers and officers safe.

Sorry being late to post my well wishes and congratulations. I too punched out at 59 1/2 and have never regretted it.

Enjoy your well earned retirement! And huge kudos for your successes with both weight loss and faith.

Congrats on your retirement!

Congrats Boss! Especially on the weight loss, very impressive.

Best of luck to you in retirement.

Congrats! I've got another 7 years before I can retire my headset, but I'm counting the days!

Congratulations and Enjoy!