Life After Retirement

Is there a Life after Retirement?

Yes. I believe that there is one and a rich one too.

What was I before I got employed?

What kind of social person was I before I took up employment?

How did I get carried away that employment is my Life? I just forgot to live my life and became workaholic. Even that would have been Okay If I had learned to get laurels for my work and get the due credit for my work and learned to climb up in my career.

I only worked. I made it a point that I know everything about and around my job. I started in Transformers, made my name there but before consolidation left for an insignificant company making Mica Insulation Products, then to Nashik for an entirely new product of Graphite Electrodes, new career in Project then in Production. Became a Quality enthusiast. Wrote articles on Quality, became a trainer, an expert on ISO: 9001, TQM. Had a successful stint in Personnel Management. Handled a strike, settled many wage agreements. Started giving regular Lectures to MBA Students. Formed and ran an Infrastructure BOT Project Company. Became Executive Director of a Departmental mall. Successfully closed the venture. In the process, I became an excellent ‘Trouble Shooter’ who could do any job reasonably well, but I forgot that ‘Trouble shooters’ are always on move and are moved continuously on and are never used for long run.

Anyway, 38 years of long employed life was not empty. I had my own moments of glory. I believe I have left an impression of being a good human being at all levels wherever I have worked. I had never made much ado about my position and was always approachable. I was talkative but I could hold many secrets. The secrets never leaked from me.

I was engrossed in my work, in my routine. My priorities always remained aligned to my Company and my work. Family and friends came later. My friends started telling each other that ‘Wadivkar’ has got married. Wadivkar has married to Bharat Bijlee and has no time for others. In those days Bharat Bijlee was known as “BB”. Thus “BB” became my first wife. I got interested in Yoga, but I could never take a leave to attend residential courses. I longed many a times but could never attend a 15 days “Vipashyana” course at Igatpuri. I regularly took leaves but they used to be short, never more than 10/12 days and were always for family. I was blessed with sound health and never needed a Sick leave. I could not make myself to take a fake sick leave. Every time I changed a job I used to forsake my sick leave balance of 50 to 80 days.

Coming back to question is there a ‘Life after Retirement’?

Any guesses?

Life After Retirement?

What the heck!

I am only retiring from an employment and I am not retiring from Life. Rather I intend to live my life in full.

Let me see what have I missed hitherto.

Let me see what I can do from hereto.

Shall I pursue my study of Yoga? Shall I take up study of Astrology? As a student of Astrology I can perhaps have some meaningful dialogue with Manjiri then. Shall I do a course in ‘Pourohitya’?, the art of doing a scientific Pooja ? Really speaking I will like to join a college. Take up some course, study, prepare for exam, appear and Pass successfully and then be satisfied for having achieved something. Sometimes I think that I will take up some thesis, read a lot, write a lot and try to get a Doctorate Degree. I have even thought a subject for my Doctorate. How about “Ashtanga Yoga as told in Bhagwadgeeta”? How will it feel to be called as Dr. Ulhas? If I could do all those things mentioned above, have I not charted next ten years of my life?

How will I pursue my hobby of Travelling? Where will I go? Which are the places I have missed? When will I see Khajuraho? When will be my Europe Tour? When is my second USA Tour? Will I go to Dubai? When will I go to Goa and consume my Timeshare Holiday?

How will I enjoy my Life with my Grand son “Idhant” and other Grand Children who are bound to come as time passes? Will I get opportunities to interact with my grand children and enjoy them growing? Will I become their affectionate Grand Father whom they will love?

How many books have I purchased and have not read yet?

How many audio cassettes have I purchased and have not listen to?

I have already lost my singing voice. Will I get some of it back?

I don’t imagine myself as sick and bed ridden in time to come. I may get tired and become slow but I think I will always be more active than friends of my age.

I have missed many things in my life, which I was used to enjoy and excel. I remember those College days when I was always excited to go for picnics. Enjoy with friends. Go for hikes. Sing songs. I remember whenever I wanted to be alone; I would take my cycle and go for long run of 5 Miles to Marve / Aksa Beach. Sit down on lonely beach and recite all Songs I used to know then. My days in Sarvajanik Library as Secretary. As Secreatry for a ‘Satyanarayan Pooja’ of our ‘Turel Pakhadi’ Road in Malad, Mumbai. As a young student excelling in ‘Kho-Kho’ and ‘Langadi’. As a Captain of ‘A’ Building in our Reserve Bank of Colony at Mumabi Central. Become a spokesman and arrange Kho-Kho, Langadi matches with Girls in Colony. Nobody had guts to talk to girls then. But with four sisters in home, talking with girls was no problem for me. But in short and really speaking I am missing social life of my young days.

Will I start leaving such life again?

I don’t think that this Graphite job will be my last. I will still be doing something. But now I don’t want to take up an executive full time Job. Most preferably I will do an assignment based jobs. Work fast. Execute and then take rest. Follow the things you have lost and have kept aside. Let life come to halt for some time and then again run after some other assignment and so on.

What do you say?