It is now 10 months since I fully
retired, the end of December 2015. It was not a big shock to my life, my
system, as I had a few years previously reduced my time at work to four days a
week, and for the last 2 1/4 years, I was half-time. However, as much as I enjoyed
my work and the people I worked with, during those last few months I have to
admit that I was really looking forward to being done with it. As a fellow
church-member said to me 10 days ago, there comes a time when you have had
enough of it.
For me, for reasons I believe I
have written about before, the sentiments expressed in the paragraph above
present a bit of a problem. Not enough to make me really blue. I am really
enjoying my retirement. Sometimes I think I am one of the most fortunate people
on earth, and I am compared to many. However, if one believes one has been
called to this occupation by the Lord one serves, can one really quit it? Can
one really think that one is happy to be done with it?
On the other hand, there are many
other things I believe The Spirit is calling me towards these days, some of
which were, some would say passions, of mine in the past. Now I can devote more
time and energy to them. I refer to things like my concern for First Nations,
homelessness and affordable housing, peace, justice, especially in places like
Palestine-Israel. No one can deny that these are still all good causes in which
one can continue to serve The Lord.
One issue that I am sure many
struggle with when they first retire is the question of whether they will
return to their profession. This option was certain in my mind, knowing the
need around the world, and thinking that I might be able to help in some less
privileged place than here at home in Canada. However, so far, nothing much has
materialized in those directions, as I may have shared before. Most recently
though, I have been accepted as a volunteer community advisor for the Vancouver
Coastal Health Community Engagement Advisory Network. In fact, tomorrow, I am
meeting with a local/Richmond leader of this initiative in the area of mental
health, to see if I have a role there, particularly given my background.
When I first retired, one of the
things that I did was clear my bookshelves of a number of books related to my
career. I gave them to my colleagues in one of the offices where I had worked.
Hopefully they can get something out of them. I also gave my physician
colleagues and others some particular files of materials I had collected, such
as on antidepressants and antipsychotics.
Of course, another benefit of
retirement was not having to pay all those dues, license fees and insurance. I
no longer get all of that medical -related reading, e.g. journals etc., in my
mail. However, old habits die hard. I still struggle with wanting to read and
keep up with some of that, thinking that I can still do something about some of
those areas. Perhaps I can. I can certainly lobby organizations, agencies and
even our government about health-related issues, particularly mental, and I do
some of that.
However, although I had thought
right from the outset that I really had no plans to return to work, I think I
decided over the last week that this is going to be even more definite.
Therefore, I cleared my bookshelves out of more books. I will share these with
both teams that I worked if they accept them. There were also some of the more
practical self-help nature that I am offering to our church library. This is in
part because individuals from the community who have been coming to our
community meal have been asking for resources such as these.
I will also honestly admit that
another nagging thought that I sometimes have which again could lead to real blues
if I want to let it, is my success or effectiveness as a physician/psychiatrist.
I sometimes ask myself, was I not effective enough? Did I not show enough skill?
Did I not make a good enough impression? Is that why no one has jumped at the
chance to accept my offer of services, even voluntary? I'm sure others have
those questions as well.
However, I can reassure you that
I am really nowhere near becoming blue let alone depressed. When every day is
like one’s work weekends, without leftover ‘work’ to finish etc., what’s not to
enjoy? Thankfully, I still have the health and ability to enjoy life, and
financially I am alright too, thanks to years of saving. There's is another bit
of advice to my physician colleagues or trainees, if you have read this. I
continue to heartily recommend our M.D. Financial Services for their excellent
financial planning and handling of mutual funds and RRSPs for no cost except
what you already pay in your Canadian Medical Association membership dues. We
are indeed fortunate. It is thanks to their help that my wife and I are in the
position where in today. God is good.
