Charlie Retires from Work

Saturday, September 28, 2019
Posted here February 17, 2022

I (Charlie) retired from my job at Woodman’s Food Market on September 28, 2019, after 22 years of service. Though this was somewhat early to retire, it was time, for several reasons:

  1. Wendi: As her health is getting progressively worse, she is requiring more care. She has already had some health emergencies during my work shifts. All-day (8 hour) shifts leave us both pretty scared, as I’m gone much longer than for the shorter shifts, making it more likely for bad things to happen.
  2. Myself: Most people would never suspect this, but I’m no longer as vibrant and energetic as I once was. Even a short shift can leave me pretty tired and sore, and the full shifts can be brutal. Sometimes I will arrive home almost too sore to finish the housework. It would be very hard for me to continue this pace much longer.
  3. Finances: We’ve always been poor, as I’ve had to work part-time these 22 years, and we were poor before that. Though we’ll never be wealthy (not even close), we do have enough to pay off the house and live as comfortably (if not better) than we do now, so retirement is a viable option.
  4. Time: Lately, I haven’t been able to do much with my music, rebuild websites (including this one), or even pursue my running. I would like to do all of these during my retirement—maybe more.

Well, I did it. I retired from Woodman's after 22 years and 4 months. At 61, I'm blessed with good health and can enjoy life for years to come, Lord willing. Wendi and I can spend some quality time together, and I can play and record more music. Some home projects may be completed fairly soon.

To all of my co-workers: It has been my pleasure to work with each of you. I'll probably see you during shopping trips in the future. I hope in some way that I've been a blessing to each of you.

(Posted to the Kharlie M page at 8:30 pm, pre-scheduled; shared on Timeline, 8:53 pm)