Story by Jon Stalnaker AKA The Studebaker Dude
Back in the late 70s, I was just beginning my career at the US Postal Service. I went to work there after my stint in the Air Force ended in 1974. It took me a couple of years to settle into my dream job of being a mailman. I had to take whatever job was open to get in, so I spent a couple of years working the night shifts as a clerk.
Once I was able to transfer to the day shift as a letter carrier, I again had to bounce around until I finally got my own route and became one of the new guys. The old guys were constantly talking about how short they were (not in height but in time left before they could retire). I had a friend, Mark, with the same time in as I had, and we used to respond to their vocalization of how many months, days, or hours they had left. One of us would shout out “2006,” and the other would shout out “right around the corner”. You have to imagine yourself hearing this in 1979, as it was amusing back then. They laughed at us, and that was the reaction we wanted. We knew all too well that retirement for us seemed like an eternity away. We joked about it, but I remember seriously thinking that retirement would take forever to achieve. Today, as I reminisce, it seems like 2006 was also a long time ago.
I remember another old-timer named Al Sousa. He used to tease the younger carriers who were interested in getting into management. He called it having a five-year plan. Once I became one of those ladder climbers, I used his “5-year plan” comment myself as I changed jobs along the way, until I eventually became a Postmaster. I remember visiting with Al after he retired. He lived in Galt, California, and had been retired for some time. I was the acting postmaster there, and I called him up to visit me at the post office. It was fun remembering the old times when I was just a kid in a mailman uniform.
I shared with him that I always remembered the little words of wisdom comments he used to make, and told him I was now working on my 4th 5-year plan. We got a good laugh out of that.
Al also had another saying that has stuck with me throughout the years. When someone would vocalize that they were having a bad day, Al would always come back with, “All days are good days; some are just better than others.” I also shared with Al that I frequently use that saying when I hear someone complaining about having a bad day. I think he appreciated that his words of wisdom meant something to someone.
He was older than me and shared the fact that he was seeing fewer good days as his cancer prognosis was not good. But he was not complaining about bad times. I find it comforting to have had such an awesome friend who made a profound impact on how I cope with life, just by saying a few seemingly insignificant comments during workplace chatter. I will always affectionately remember Al Sousa.
Mark and I really did feel as though 2006 was so far away that we couldn’t comprehend ever reaching that goal. In retrospect, it was 27 years in the future; now, it is 19 years in my past. Those 27 years went by quickly, partly because I was biting them away in 5-year-plan increments.
Not only did the 27 years fly by, but the 19 years have also flown by. It may feel like retirement is not active enough at times, but my calendar is still full. I refuse to waste my time away sitting in my recliner taking naps. That doesn’t mean I don’t do that; it just means that I feel compelled to counterbalance inactivity with activity. Now that my days feel limited, I refuse to believe that the reality of me getting older simply means I’m gonna die. Only God knows how much time I have left, and I intend to do everything I can to make as many of my remaining days “better” than just “good”.
To me, being retired just means I no longer have to punch a time clock. I can still kick back in my recliner and nap with my little dog if’n I have a hankerin’, and I do frequently, as long as I counterbalance with six thousand minimum steps per day and 6 days of working out each week. I cut my own grass, and there’s lots of it, and walk my dogs. With my amazing wife’s assistance, I try to eat right. I’m in trouble if I have to do that myself. I say this to assure you that I am trying to stay healthy, as that is the secret to making time fly.
I’ve had jobs that are so boring that the clocks run backwards. (Not really, but it sure felt like it). I’m not in a hurry for my sand to run out; I just want to have a good time until it does. And take it from me, time goes by much faster when you can enjoy it. I’m in my 70s now, and I can finally appreciate and not dread the clock. It’s about time…
