I retired from teaching on June 19, 2014.  I was finally free of my employer’s expectations.  I decided that the next day I’d start writing a blog … on WordPress.

So on June 20 I started, and ten years later I’m still here.  WordPress has become Jetpack.  A few years in, I began copying the posts to Facebook.

But back to the first entry.  Here’s a sample:

I retired yesterday and decided to declare 4:00 pm as the end point of my teaching career.  My wife Jody and I have a lovely home on a deep lot.  At the back of our lot are maybe 20 metres of trees, and then it’s on to a farmer’s field and beyond that a wide expanse of trees leading down into a ravine.

…

On the far side of the soybean field, the trees stretched in a wide arc.  I wanted to know their names.  I couldn’t remember many of the species I saw.  And then … poof!  The names meant nothing at all.  Trees were there, just standing there, being trees.

…

I had brought a fancy watch that I received from my school board as a retirement present.  At 3:55, I put my eight fingers inside the metal band.  “Thank you” bubbled up, and it didn’t matter who it was aimed at.

At 3:59, I started watching the second hand count me down to a new life.  And guess what?  It arrived.  I threw my arms into the air and smiled.  Wherever I am now is very fine.  I think I’ll write.

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And write I’ve done: 1905 posts

Some people have listened

So on I go …