I have appropriated Charles Blow’s OpEd today in the NY Times, because it is so good. I am with you, Charles – also in the 3rd trimester of my gig, with more summers behind me than in front of me. I love the way he talks about relationships with his kids. My four kids are also grown and out of the house (2 off the payroll, one in medical school and one starting his own business). My relationship with them has always been good, but it is now evolved and I just love hanging out with them; they are friends as much as my kids. I do sometimes still offer help and counsel when they ask for it, but they are more and more independent every year, and it’s wonderful to see. I hope they will always believe they need me, and I know that I will always need them…probably more and more as I age. (maybe especially the doctor!).
I have recently gone back to work, at age 61, and I am doing it because I really like working. I like building and leading teams, I like leading sales organizations and I like being part of a high energy organization, like the software company I have just joined. I guess I just was ready to be ‘retired.’ Still plenty of time for that.
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