Just a few months away from 70 now and thinking about the day I will retire. I have set a goal of retiring on my birthday, but as the days go by the anxiety is building. I have a great job and love what I do. Each day is a new challenge working in the building maintenance field.
Being a building caretaker for the disabled people in two separate buildings is a very rewarding job. It comes with many extra duties that are not covered in my job description. Like picking up their keys when they are in their wheel chair and they drop them on the floor or removing their air conditioner when the weather turns cold.
My actual title is" Building and property maintenance caretaker". I have no responsibilities to the residents other than doing the maintenance request forms filled out for work to be done in their apartments. Its my policy to engage only in work related issues while in their apartments. This eliminates the possibility of favoritism and clinging.
As the time passes friendships have been developing and filling out work orders go by the wayside and verbal request become the normal. Its company policy to only do work when filled work orders are turned in. So it becomes a constant reminder to fill out a work order.
There are many factors to my decision to retire, one is my memory which is getting more forgetful by the week. If I don't write it down right away, then I'll go off and completely forget about it. Another is my physical strength is weakening and I cannot perform some of the task that I used to do.
As in many buildings that house people with disabilities there are a lot of drugs, both prescriptions and non prescriptions; along with illegal drugs. The buildings I manage are federally funded and need to be monitored for illegal drug traffic. With marijuana becoming more popular as a pain reliever and still considered illegal in federal buildings; the stress of controlling it has greatly increased.
I guess the natural deterioration of my body as I get older and the ability to cope with many of the problems of today is just a part of life. Therefore I will continue to live it to the best of my ability.
Comment on life.
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Earl Baldwin
