Thursday, April 21, 2011

Class of 2014...

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To the graduating class of 2014,

Pick a career that will allow you to retire early.

Sincerely,
Burned out 30-something
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Working years are long. Stressful. Monotonous. I don't remember my father working the kind of hours most of us are subjected to these days. Somehow, in the past 10+ years, our society has turned rewarding careers into pressure cookers. More work, tighter deadlines, fewer employees. Low overhead. Save money.

I look backward; I long for the days without stress. Weekends were meant for staying out late. For dancing, flirting, movies, and  road trips. But now? Weekends mean projects, household chores, and desperate attempts to catch up on sleep (failed attempts... because a certain child doesn't sleep past "sun come up!").

Retirement? Sounds awesome! No deadlines. No rationing vacation days because you only get so many each year. Spending a month in a house by the ocean just because you can.

I'm a few weeks away from 33 years old, but I am really ready to slow down. Begging to slow down. Not as much for me, but for my husband. I want to see him carefree again. Loose. Calm.

I would also like to stop worrying that he'll have a stress-induced heart attack before age 40.

So, retirement? Wait right there. We trying to reach you as quickly as we can!


Photo credit: Bumper Sticker by Top Tees, available on Zazzle.com


(This post was inspired by fatigue. And Mama Kat's Writers' Workshop prompt: "Something students these days should know".)
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