MennoNet.com

So after a little over 40 years my official role and responsibilities will be changing significantly as of the end of this month.
I am not using the retirement word as such since I feel a bit on the young side for that but in a sense that is what it is. My day to day responsibilities in the company will cease. I will still be working on a project or two, sit in on management meetings and be available for some consultation and PR work.
I know people will be asking why and the fact is that there is not one easy answer. First my baby brother, the now majority owner of the company and our president gave me an offer I found hard to refuse. The last ten years have not been too stressful for me but the previous 30 before that consisted of long hard working hours, 70 hours a week was probably the low average. They were good years. I loved the work. I loved the challenge of seeing the company grow. I particularly enjoyed the interaction with tens of thousands of people over the years just doing something as simple as supplying them with good fresh eating apples. But those work hours came at the expense of giving up some of my other dreams and aspirations in life. And since I have always believed that when God opens doors in life you should willingly walk through if you are able I am eagerly siting on that threshold.

I do not know what he all has in store for us but I eagerly await whatever it may be. I am confident it will include some volunteer work and possibly some study that I have long wanted to do. I hope my grandchildren will figure in somewhat and there are a few other things I have up my sleeve as well. But those are just ideas. Ultimately God holds our future and whatever Kingdom work he has in mind I am excited about.

Right now the transition does not look that daunting but perhaps in a few weeks I will notice it. If you wish you can pray that I may be successful in doing what Gary Miller describes as "Going until you are gone."

Blessings in your transition, my friend.

Congratulations on your retirement. I am pretty sure that you have only begin to experience what being busy is like. With your broad interests, knowledge, and wisdom many opportunities await. My dad retired last year, and although he still works almost every day for me in my business, the advancement away from the heavy routine responsibilities makes me think that, just as with every other phase in life, retirement will have its joys and opportunities.

Blessings to you and your wife. What a great season it will be.

appleman2006 wrote:So after a little over 40 years my official role and responsibilities will be changing significantly as of the end of this month.
I am not using the retirement word as such since I feel a bit on the young side for that but in a sense that is what it is. My day to day responsibilities in the company will cease. I will still be working on a project or two, sit in on management meetings and be available for some consultation and PR work.
I know people will be asking why and the fact is that there is not one easy answer. First my baby brother, the now majority owner of the company and our president gave me an offer I found hard to refuse. The last ten years have not been too stressful for me but the previous 30 before that consisted of long hard working hours, 70 hours a week was probably the low average. They were good years. I loved the work. I loved the challenge of seeing the company grow. I particularly enjoyed the interaction with tens of thousands of people over the years just doing something as simple as supplying them with good fresh eating apples. But those work hours came at the expense of giving up some of my other dreams and aspirations in life. And since I have always believed that when God opens doors in life you should willingly walk through if you are able I am eagerly siting on that threshold.

I do not know what he all has in store for us but I eagerly await whatever it may be. I am confident it will include some volunteer work and possibly some study that I have long wanted to do. I hope my grandchildren will figure in somewhat and there are a few other things I have up my sleeve as well. But those are just ideas. Ultimately God holds our future and whatever Kingdom work he has in mind I am excited about.

Right now the transition does not look that daunting but perhaps in a few weeks I will notice it. If you wish you can pray that I may be successful in doing what Gary Miller describes as "Going until you are gone."

Yeah, been there, am doing that. I was 48 years at one job, figured I'd keep on as long as I didn't get in the way. Then things changed and for less than 2 months I'm completely out of that and into something else. Don't know either for sure what this new direction all entails, but know for sure it is the right one because it was very obviously the hand of God that opened the door for us.
Some day when we have the blessing of Premier Ford we'll have to sit around a table somewhere and talk about it.
Blessings to you and your wife, AM, in your journey.

silentreader wrote:

appleman2006 wrote:So after a little over 40 years my official role and responsibilities will be changing significantly as of the end of this month.
I am not using the retirement word as such since I feel a bit on the young side for that but in a sense that is what it is. My day to day responsibilities in the company will cease. I will still be working on a project or two, sit in on management meetings and be available for some consultation and PR work.
I know people will be asking why and the fact is that there is not one easy answer. First my baby brother, the now majority owner of the company and our president gave me an offer I found hard to refuse. The last ten years have not been too stressful for me but the previous 30 before that consisted of long hard working hours, 70 hours a week was probably the low average. They were good years. I loved the work. I loved the challenge of seeing the company grow. I particularly enjoyed the interaction with tens of thousands of people over the years just doing something as simple as supplying them with good fresh eating apples. But those work hours came at the expense of giving up some of my other dreams and aspirations in life. And since I have always believed that when God opens doors in life you should willingly walk through if you are able I am eagerly siting on that threshold.

I do not know what he all has in store for us but I eagerly await whatever it may be. I am confident it will include some volunteer work and possibly some study that I have long wanted to do. I hope my grandchildren will figure in somewhat and there are a few other things I have up my sleeve as well. But those are just ideas. Ultimately God holds our future and whatever Kingdom work he has in mind I am excited about.

Right now the transition does not look that daunting but perhaps in a few weeks I will notice it. If you wish you can pray that I may be successful in doing what Gary Miller describes as "Going until you are gone."

Yeah, been there, am doing that. I was 48 years at one job, figured I'd keep on as long as I didn't get in the way. Then things changed and for less than 2 months I'm completely out of that and into something else. Don't know either for sure what this new direction all entails, but know for sure it is the right one because it was very obviously the hand of God that opened the door for us.
Some day when we have the blessing of Premier Ford we'll have to sit around a table somewhere and talk about it.
Blessings to you and your wife, AM, in your journey.

thank you. I would really enjoy that. Let’s do it sooner rather than later.

A-Man, I'm absolutely certain you will enjoy it. You have the maturity and the capacity to find a blessing in any situation. A word to the wise though:
There's an old joke about a man who retired and then had to go back to work to get a rest. New opportunities arise quickly because everyone says, "A-man's retired, let's ask him."

Welcome to my world
Sending up prayers for you to successfully transition to life away from the job.

MaxPC wrote:A-Man, I'm absolutely certain you will enjoy it. You have the maturity and the capacity to find a blessing in any situation. A word to the wise though:
There's an old joke about a man who retired and then had to go back to work to get a rest. New opportunities arise quickly because everyone says, "A-man's retired, let's ask him."

Welcome to my world
Sending up prayers for you to successfully transition to life away from the job.

You mean I might have to learn to say "No". Oh boy. I have never been very good at that.

appleman2006 wrote:

MaxPC wrote:A-Man, I'm absolutely certain you will enjoy it. You have the maturity and the capacity to find a blessing in any situation. A word to the wise though:
There's an old joke about a man who retired and then had to go back to work to get a rest. New opportunities arise quickly because everyone says, "A-man's retired, let's ask him."

Welcome to my world
Sending up prayers for you to successfully transition to life away from the job.

You mean I might have to learn to say "No". Oh boy. I have never been very good at that.

It was really difficult when I no longer had the excuse of a full time job.

Good to see you on Friday @appleman, and good to hear you enjoying your time in the "r-word"