Photo by Gordon Harkins
What Do I Remember?
A blogging challenge has me thinking about a special memory from 2016.
Sorting and categorizing memories is tricky business. What’s special one day if forgotten the next. The scary, awful stuff seems to forever float near the surface of consciousness while the fun stuff takes work to recall. This in part fuels both my journaling and photography — an action focused on building and retaining memory.
Riding and Recall
The rides have started to blur together making it difficult to choose one single ride as special. There’s a subtle pressure to narrow a choice to family and loved ones as if there is a hierarchy of importance when it comes to memory. I’ve accepted there’s no accounting for what my mind chooses to remember. When I ride the Vespa scooter the world slips away leaving an open expanse to think and recall memories. At least when I’m not thinking of the future.
The future — that has something to do with the most special memory of 2016.
It’s a memory about something that won’t happen for another 148 days — retirement. Or more precisely, the special memory is a recollection of the jumbled thoughts and feelings related to my decision to accept a buyout offer for early retirement. As early as nearly 44 years of employment can be.
The Thrill of the Uncertain Road Ahead
The days leading up to to the deadline to accept or reject the retirement buyout offer were painted with dreams of adventure and stained with anxious misgiving of letting go of something that has been a steady beat my entire adult life. I reflected on those concerns in a post titled Retirement: A New Adventure.
While many exciting and delightful things have happened in 2016, those days in September stand out as unique, strange, and special.
I could point to many individual events as memorable in 2016, but there are many. Ride and family events occurred with striking regularity throughout the year. Between the scooter and the motorcycles I enjoyed many great rides. Rekindling a former relationship led to a cascade of events that made the year special. Hopefully 2017 will follow suit.
Choosing one event is a challenge. Like you, there were many great moments and events.
Best of luck for many more memorable events this year!
As with life, retirement will be what you make of it. As long as a “moves the soul” vehicle is part of the package, you should be fine…at least….while on it.
I HOPE a vehicle is part of retirement!!!
For me, lots of memorable stuff from ’16, good and lousy, and it is interesting how memory often files the awful stuff well ahead of the good. One goodie that stands out was finally getting my MC license (which, at age 60, might elicit sighs of what took you so long? from anyone living beyond the NYC area).
As usual, thought-provoking words, gorgeous photos.
Better late than never with the MC license. Be safe.
Nice photo and a particularly nice memory. Only 148 more days (now 147)!
The clock is ticking.
Steve,
I retired a little over 3 months ago on my birthday on October 21. Most important is the fact that I don’t have to drive so many miles on the turnpike to and from work after 32 years of employment. I also appreciate being able to determine my own daily schedule which is a new experience each day.
Hope you enjoy retirement when it finally arrives. You have certainly earned it!
Congratulations on your retirement Karl. I look forward to determining my own schedule within parameters and requirements of my own choice.
I sorta had my memory in mind when I wrote the prompt, so it’s not exactly one that’s really significant, just funny. There were so many other fun things about last year. Like meeting three Moto bloggers in person for the first time. How cool is that?
Anyway, I’m not sure if the decision to retire will be as hard for me. I’ve had quite a few different jobs over the years, so it won’t be as drastic a change. Of course, I’m the person who can’t say the F word yet, as in I’m going to be F—- soon! O.MG., where has the time gone?
When you look into memories they take on a different life, often not what I thought they were. Good stuff though.
I’ve met ten moto-bloggers in person now. Of those, only six are still blogging. But it is cool to meet the people behind the words and pictures.
Good luck with your retirement adventure!
Steve you will positively enjoy your retirement days. I too took a retirement buyout last year after serving in the MA Trial Court for 36 years, and the important issue is making a plan to occupy your new leisure hours. I volunteer two days a week at Plimoth Plantation here in my new hometown, assisting in their archaeology laboratory detailing their massive collection of artifacts. I have done more cruising on my Vespa 300GT, and even went out and purchased a new Honda Ruckus to celebrate my retirement. Enjoy your new rides and keep us informed of your travels and your thoughts!
So far retirement is a fine experience. It’s still sort of shocking to me that I don’t have to continue to earn a living.
Plans are slowly coming together on how I’ll spend this next part of my life. I’m in no rush.
How are you liking the Honda Ruckus? From time to time I think I would like to have that option. Spent some time on one years ago and remember it as a fun machine.