Living in the twilight zone of “retirement”

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Tim in chairOfficially, I’m going into my second day of retirement from my old job.

I’m going to tell you right now it seems a little unreal.

I was watching the Michigan football game and was thinking about what needed to be done for the Monday paper.

Except that’s now someone else’s responsibility.

My colleagues who took the buyout talked about “decompressing” for a while, using that exact word.

I suspect I’ll need to do that, too.

I’m looking forward to the new opportunity here at thelivingstonpost-staging.tepontv7-liquidwebsites.com.

You’ll be able to hear the broadcasts of high school sports here, and I’ll have stories and columns here.

Back to “retirement” for a moment.

I took a buyout, and it was early retirement from my old job. But I’m going to be looking for a new job to do things like pay the bills.

When I wrote my farewell column last week, I wanted to say goodbye while I was still readily reachable by people who wanted to do so.

And they did.

A lot of emails, a couple of cards (one whose name I couldn’t read; I had to deduce who it was through an internet search of the return address on the envelope) and readers who had allowed my words into their homes for 15 years who came up to me and thanked me.

At Brighton High School, they brought me onto the field at halftime and read a proclamation so laudatory I half expected to hear “Visitation will be Monday from 1-8 p.m. at….”

In seriousness, it was a very nice gesture, which I deeply appreciate.

It was an ending, something I made sure I was aware of.

While I was working on cleaning my desk, my aunt was working on moving her sewing materials out to her friends.

At 90, she is facing the end of her life with spirit and serenity, knowing she will meet her Maker and see her husband and parents again soon.

I merely left a job.

But not Livingston County.

So I’m excited to have the opportunity to continue to bring you stories of the hard-working coaches and athletes who have brought so much pride to this area over the years.

Friday marked the end of my tenure with a paper for whom I had worked for since its inception.

After I was done with my last story early Saturday morning, another colleague and I reminisced for about two hours in the building while clearing out personal effects.

At about 3:30 a.m., we walked out of the building for the last time.

At 4:11, I got into my truck and drove out of the parking lot for the last time.

Today marks a new beginning.

New month, new day, new normal.

Let’s have at it.

DON’T MISS A BEAT

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