I spoke with a client this week, overseas, from where he'll retire. He was trepidatious about how he'd feel, not what he'd do. I was the same, but spent a year on gardening leave. I didn't even remember the looming big date, until the chief clerk called and sarcastically asked me if I had any thoughts on clearing, handing my ID in, that kind of thing etc. Thankfully, I had enough credits in the bank with the right people still in post who knew me, and I cleared in two hours flat. The chief clerk fumed I didn't have my ID or dog tags, but he was looking at someone booted and suited, who had officially been a civvy for two days.
I expected I'd be emotional, but I wasn't. I wondered if I'd offer some kind of nod to the guy on the gate as a symbolic final farewell, but didn't. I wondered if I'd be a little choked up. But I couldn't be. I had been employed for almost twelve months with a very demanding FTSE 100 company and I had moved on. The system had moved on too, I was long forgotten. I still drive past Wittering and look with fond affection at the Regt office bolted onto 1(F)'s old hangar and smile - I spend more time seeing clients there now, than I ever used to spend chatting with folk in the NAAFI, or whatever it morphed into. In a way, I haven't left I guess.
I hope he won't mind me repeating this, but I spoke with a VSO a couple of years back, and we discussed his final days 'in office'. He left Main Building with not much of a fanfare at all, and contrasted his final days with those of a WO, who knew everyone on station, and who could conjour up 36 years worth of willing participants to a beer call at the drop of a hat. Command can be a lonely place. My final day in uniform, on the other hand, was being amongst the first on the scene when a T4 rolled on take off, killing Jack London. Mine was a sad one instead, I didn't have the time or luxury to be self absorbed.
One thing I do know. Those who retire to something are far more successful and fulfilled than those who retire away from something. And on that note, I'm shortly off in the direction of Waddington. Fingers crossed for minimal fog.