What I Will NOT Miss About My Current Job

So, I will be leaving my current job in nine and a half weeks. I am retiring and am struggling a bit with the lack of direction in my near future. At the same time, though, I am a bit energized by this opportunity to go do something else. As part of this, I am going to list some of the things that I will not miss about my current job...

I will not miss the following:

  • Prohibition of balloons - it will be nice to have a bit of flexibility when it comes to using balloons in music therapy sessions. I have so many balloon therapeutic music experiences (TMEs) that I have not been able to use because we don't have balloons around due to choking risks.
  • Lack of communication - At least when I am working for myself, I will know all the things happening.
  • "Happy children making happy sounds." - Ugh. I had an ineffective principal who liked to use platitudes rather than engage in complete sentences. She once told me that she didn't care what I did in music therapy as long as the following phrase applied. (She no longer works at the facility, thank goodness!)
  • Constant vigilance - it can be wearing on a body, wondering who will be swept away by emotion every second of every interaction. The hardest ones for me are the ones in the room next door because I do not see their wind ups or triggers. I just soak up the emotions.
  • The meetings and irrelevant emails - it will be nice to have a decreased amount of irrelevant communication just go away. I don't need 17 emails about whether one kid should get a haircut, but I do need relevant communication to be shared (see the second bullet above).
Now, there are plenty of things that I will miss about this job. I have enjoyed job security and many different opportunities that I would not have had if I were not in the job I am in. I have been honored to work with thousands of clients over the years. Some of them still sing the songs I wrote. I have been able to be creative, and I have had the opportunity to make my own program. I am the expert in music therapy, and I like that.

I filled out a paper for my retirement recognition at the district yesterday. They asked me for my plans. I don't have any. I am not old enough to qualify for social security payments, so I do plan to work somehow, somewhere, but I don't know where or what right now. It is somewhat humbling to know that the plan is not to have a plan.

I function better with a strategy. I like having a basic idea of what I will be doing, but I also embrace the idea that there has to be some variation in how those strategies play out. Right now, my priority is to get some rest before I decide what comes next. I am hoping that two months will be enough time to get thoroughly bored with my lazy existence and will spur me into finding some sort of job. That's all I have at the moment - rest and then find something to do after my last day at work.

Well, that's enough talking about retirement for this week. It is time to get going into my current full-time situation and run my five groups for the day. Let's hope that people are feeling calm and ready to do something with me in the session, but we'll see. 

CONSTANT VIGILANCE! 

Ugh, I am tired.

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