4 - Sauntering into Retirement - 2001

A chance comment at a drinks party in 2001 when a brief unhappy time of employment needed to end, changed the course of the next 15 years.  An offer to join Pall Spera Company, a highly respected Stowe real estate office, intrigued me although not enough at first, to send me running to long-discarded licensing books. I had had a brief dalliance with real estate sales back in the early 80’s when the children were young and my time was not my own. After only a few months I warehoused my license with the state and moved on. Little did I know how useful this would be in the future.

Had it not been for the truly impossible situation in my current job, no details here, I may not have considered the offer.  However after researching my options, I was relieved to discovered that my license could be reinstated all these years later with just a few hours of continuing ed. Today this is not the case as regulations have tightened. 

So armed with a license and very little knowledge I embarked on the 4th and final career of my life. 

Expecting a somewhat more laid back life it quickly became apparent this was not to be.  The learning curve is quite steep in the beginning and, in fact, leveled off very little over the years. Staying slightly ahead of one’s competitors meant being tech savvy and pushing ahead with new ideas and products that would appeal to the customer. Working side by side with a colleague drove us both to develop an innovative style that would put us in the forefront of our company in sales.

As good as that felt, it was exhausting. My days were long and even taking some time away from the office did not mean I was free from the constant pressure. Yes, I could have turned off my phone, my computer, my IPad but I enjoyed what I did and my competitive spirit did not allow for less than the best I could provide. 

I realize now, in retirement, that I have been driven my whole life to try to be the best even when my natural abilities didn’t allow. That’s a lot of pressure to put on oneself. I have no regrets but maybe I could have been a little easier on myself.