The year was either 2007 or 2008. The large telecom company I worked for was starting to show signs of trouble. Although we had survived the tech crash we were suffering in it's tailspin. News of massive layoffs started to surface.
While heading out for lunch one day I watched a man, mid-to-late fifties, slowly emerge from one of the buildings on our campus; box in hand, tears streaming, head down. He was one of the unlucky ones. He was the one human face to what was happening to thousands.
It was terrible on so many levels. Was he worried about finding another job? Would he have to sell his house and move? Did he somehow know that the company would soon be in bankruptcy, ripping his pension to shreds? Was he embarrassed at being viewed as a failure by peers inside and outside of his workplace? Maybe he was just leaving behind good friends. It doesn't matter, really. It was fucking awful to watch.
I know I didn't want to be at the mercy of a corporation in my later years of my career. At the time, the solution seemed obvious. Don't become irrelevant. Find a secure job, maybe even with a pension. When the opportunity came up, I jumped at a job with the Federal Government. Mid-career, I knew I not get a full pension, but it would be better than nothing. Even with a pay cut, it was the right move for me.
Of course, now I know that there is an even better solution. Why work at all? Without really trying, our family has accomplished a great savings rate. With renewed focus, thanks to finding this blog, we are on target for a much earlier retirement than we ever thought possible.
Has anyone else experienced a "wake up call"?