In the years I was a cop, given the kind of job it is, whenever I had to call home from work, I knew that, after the Good Mrs. Benson answered, the first words out of my mouth needed to be "I'm alright."
I'm sure many of you have noticed that my presence on this board isn't as common as it used to be. I don't post comments as often as I used to, and the intervals between my Deck Log entries continue to extend. Given my superannuated years, the possibility that I'm experiencing a health problem, or some other age-related difficulty, might be rattling around in some of your minds. If so, I genuinely appreciate your concerns, but there's nothing to worry about.
The first words of this post should have been "I'm alright."
The cause of my reduced time here in Captain Comics land is, well, I got tired of being retired.
I don't talk much on line about the details of my life. It's not that I'm paranoically private; it's just that it's nobody's business, really. The same way you don't talk about your uncle who's written letters to every member of Congress complaining about the government putting mind-control drugs in the drinking water or your lazy brother-in-law whose job is wearing a sandwich board saying, "Eat at Joe's". But, sure, I'll disclose something, if it helps make a point or to relate a funny story. And, in fact, I briefly touched on what was going on in one of my comments to a Deck Log entry I posted last year. That's when I mentioned that I had applied for a contract position with my state government.
As advertised, it was perfect for a man with my credentials. Moreover, since the assignment called for two people (my state is notoriously cheap about paying overtime), I was looking at working only three days a week, maybe four sometimes. And I'd still be drawing a pay that fell near the average household income in the United States. I don't have to work, but it seemed like such a plum opportunity that it would be foolish not to explore it. So, I applied.
As it turned out, I was just the sort of applicant the state wanted. At least, based on the interview process. I hadn't been called "Commander Benson" so much since I left active duty. I was essentially hired on the spot, pending the state's investigation of my background. That's what I was waiting to hear back about when I posted that comment to my Deck Log Entry.
With all the security clearances I've held in the Navy and the regular official scrubbings your life gets as a police officer, I'd been vetted and re-vetted so many times, I knew I would come up squeaky clean. And I did, but I have a long life to go through and the process took almost two months. So, in September of last year, I was signed on and told to get to work. That's when the other shoe dropped.
Remember, I said it was a two-man job? Well, they hadn't found anyone else to take the other slot. I was asked to fill the gap, which meant putting in more than a full work week. I would be financially compensated, I was told, and they would find someone to fill the other position as soon as possible.
I guess I was too buttered up from all those "Commander Bensons". I agreed. The first promise has been kept---my pay jumped considerably---but I'm still waiting on the second.
The good news is that the work is well within my wheelhouse. There was no learning curve and nothing about it that I hadn't dealt with in some form over my professional lifetime. No crises or eleventh-hour taskings. I like and respect the people I work with, and they like and respect me in return.
The bad news is my work day is long---eleven-to-twelve hours---and five days a week. By the time I get home in the evening, I have only a few hours before it's time to go to bed. The week-ends are my only real opportunity to get re-acquainted with the Good Mrs. Benson, handle any personal and social obligations, and just plain be lazy. That's why I've let my Deck Log slide, and why I don't chime in here as often as I used to. It's not the effort of the writing; that's always been a labour of love. And I enjoy socialising on this board; with some of you fellows, it's been for twenty years. It's just that, by the time Saturday arrives, all I want to do is order a pizza and binge-watch my recorded episodes of Twelve O'Clock High. (Just why they derailed the show by replacing Robert Lansing with Paul Burke, I'll never understand.)
Now, some might ask, not unreasonably, why, with two healthy pensions and a full Social Security payment filling my bank account every month, am I bothering to work at all? Well, there are tangible and intangible reasons.
First, I'll be honest, the money's too good to pass up. Most people at my age are managing their fixed incomes. My salary from the state isn't exorbitant, but with everything else, I find myself in the highest-income years of my life. I want to use that to the GMB's benefit by socking away as much of that state income as I can. And there's enough left for us to take those luxury cruises we've always dreamt of.
It's not all avarice. Cheryl has a number of health problems. Nothing life-threatening, but life-impeding. Arthritis in her hands and knees, neuropathy, and a couple other irritations---sufficient so that she's had to give up her job. My job covers that, now.
Those are the tangibles. As for the intangibles . . . well, as much as I enjoyed having my time to myself, I find that I like having a place to go in the morning. Yes, the hours are long, but the work is familiar and the folks with whom I work are top-drawer. Even though, technically, I'm not part of the organisation, they treat me as part of the team, valued and respected. Hence, I am rewarded in ways that you can't assign a figure to.
The work paradigm has shifted in our society, with more and more people working out of the home and telecommunicating. So the mindset must be changing. But for those of us who spent our work careers making the daily trips between home and work, our minds and personalities would make a subtle shift during the drive. As soon as we got to our place of business, our home persona would change to our work persona. Our home self didn't return until we walked in the front door and announced, "Hi, honey, I'm home!" When you have a separate place to go to do your job, you're one person at home and another person at work.
To be honest, I'd kind of missed the work-Adam Benson, and it's nice to have him back.
I try to keep up with the chatter on these boards, though I don't get to them every day. I haven't run out of ideas for Deck Log entries. I've got a half-dozen rough outlines lying here on my desk. It's just a matter of sitting down and fleshing them out. Right now, though, you'll have to settle for a couple of "From the Archives" re-runs, as soon as I can update them and give them a good pasting of Turtle Wax. To be sure, I miss showing up here every day and being an active participant. You're a swell bunch and being one of you for the past twenty-three years has been one of the fondest associations I've ever had.
I'm not about to give that up.
Replies
Great news! Well, maybe glass half-full good news, given the labor involved. But given the compensation (monetary and mental), maybe glass seven-eighths full?
Glad to hear that you're doing well, sir. There's nothing like having fulfilling work.
Congratulations on finding something that pleases you, pays well, and is with people whom you like and respect, Commander. It's harder and harder to find positions with all of those elements, no matter when you enter the workforce, and harder still for, let's say, the seasoned worker.
And yes, it has been a great joy over these past (two!) decades to have you in our merry band!
ClarkKent_DC said:
Trust me, I know how fortunate I was, under to-day's circumstances, to land this job. I almost didn't submit for it, because I knew how long and arduous the vetting process was, and because I figured my chances were less than even.
Thank you, and everyone else above, for your kind words. I've drifted in and out of sites over the past two decades, and I can definitively state that no other site has a finer quality of people than we have here. We've made this board a true definition of forum, a place where people of differing backgrounds and experiences come together to peacefully and tolerantly exchange ideas.
Glad to hear all is well with you. Commander. I retired at the end of 2018 and I too have entertained thoughts of returning to the work force. You are fortunate to have found a job that sounds tailor made for you.
Your comment about having a work persona and home persona is spot on. I too miss my work persona and continue to keep my eyes and ears open for an opportunity that may be a good fit for me.
Great to hear everything is going so well. Any chance I'll see you at HeroesCon this summer?
I've only been in this merry band for ten years, but have always enjoyed your posts, Commander.
Good to hear that all is well.
I good to hear from you, Commander. I'm delighted all is well, for the most part.
I completely, understand your absence. When I started working were I'm at now, I was working 1-3 more hours a day, and my commute could be up to an hour longer than it was at my previous job. I was never the biggest poster, but even that did fell off.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next