In a couple of weeks, it will be two years since the zoom meeting when I was served with a layoff letter. And the first anniversary of my life in retirement. What is the traditional gift for the first anniversary? 🤣
A lot has changed over these two years. Even the small things have dramatically changed. Like grocery shopping.
To most, perhaps there is nothing to write about grocery shopping. Not for me. Thanks to chatting with the people at the checkout registers at the grocery store that I went to for years, I knew a little bit about them and they knew a bit about me too. We were acquainted with each other, so to speak. So much so that soon after I got the layoff notice, I even informed two checkout women, Wendy and Kathy, about it.
However, at the new grocery store that I now go to, I rarely engage in small talk. For one, many of them are way younger than me. I still remember a couple of students remarking during class discussions that they preferred online shopping because they didn’t like talking to people at the stores. I am not sure how many of their generation feel that way even when the roles are reversed and they are the ones serving customers like me.
The few clerks who are about my age do not seem to be interested in talking. Except one guy.
A few days ago, I was in the line by his register and noticed that he was having an animated conversation with a customer. “He seems to talk too much,” I thought to myself. It was way more than small talk, and I don’t want anything more than small talk at checkout.
Yet, when it was my turn, I decided to engage with him. My “how are you?” opened up a floodgate.
“Doing well for working only two days a week,” he replied with a big smile. “I took early retirement.”
I didn’t want to to tell him that I had been forced into premature retirement. Not because I want to avoid talking about my layoff; I am more interested in what others have to say whether it is small talk or dinner table conversations. I blog my thoughts instead of talking a lot!
“Is that right?” I asked.
“I decided to tap into social security, even though it is less money than if I waited for a few more years. But, why work when I don’t have to!”
Boy have I thought a lot, and blogged a bit, about that very issue of why work when we don’t have to. But, the checkout register is not a place for such serious topics.
“I guess health insurance is the reason why many continue to work,” I said.
“That’s the problem that I am working on. I earn a little too much to qualify for the Oregon Health Plan. If I work only one day a week, I can make it. But, I am not sure if they will allow me to work only one day a week.”
“Good luck on that, and enjoy your retirement,” I said as I collected my bag.
A few days later, it was again him and me. I decided to continue with where I left off, even though it seemed like he didn’t quite recognize me. There was no friendly smile like the ones from Wendy and Kathy that greeted me in the old store.
“How is the semi-retirement going,” I asked him instead of opening with “how are you?”
His eyes sparkled and he smiled wide. It was obvious that he was enjoying the semi-retirement.
“It is two days too many at work,” he said.
“Watch out, your supervisor might hear you.”
“What are they gonna do? There’s 50% turnover here. They are glad that I come to work.”
“That huge a turnover?”
“Oh yeah. They can’t keep them. The young ones they newly hire? After two weeks, almost all of them call up to say that they are in self-quarantine for a week. And then they don’t show up.”
Meanwhile, the line had become way too long. I could feel the heat from the customers behind me. He couldn’t care about the line. What are they gonna do; fire him?
“What about you? Are you already retired?”
People always overestimate my age because of my balding head and the grey beard. I was only 47 when I was offered senior citizen discounts, and there have been many incidents since then. I am used to it by now, even though in my mind I think I am still a 29-year old guy with lots of black hair.
I smiled at his question. I didn’t want to get into why I am prematurely retired. He interpreted my smile differently.
“Oh, you are one of those guys who doesn’t want to retire because you love what you do.”
I smiled and picked up the bags. “Thank you,” is all I told him.