I read an article online last week about a guy who used his obituary to confess to a crime he had committed decades before.  As I recall, it wasn’t a huge deal, but it had obviously been eating at him for his whole life so he wanted to get it off his chest.  After you’re dead seems a little late so I think I’m going to spend the next few weeks “confessing”.

I’ll start off with confessing to be, well, flippant with a most of you over a question that’s been asked almost daily for the last year.  I know flippancy isn’t on the list of deadly sins, but I think I owe my friends a real answer to the question; “So, what are you going to do after you retire?”.

I came up with a simple answer, an answer which, in keeping with my personality, was short and to the point; “Anything I want.”.  It’s true, but it doesn’t really answer the question for you or for me.  I’ve always been a planner.  I like to look ahead to where I think I want to be and then plan out the steps to get there.  High school was just a step to college which was a step to pilot training which was a step to flying which was a step to being an instructor……. You get the picture.  And I guess the final goal was an Air Force career.  But now I find myself having enjoyed the ride so much that, now that the roller coaster car is pulling into the station, I really haven’t figured out which ride to get on next.

I’ve spent the last month in Wilmington Delaware supporting what we call the “Banner” mission.  It’s just the name the Air Force gives for supporting the travel requirements of the President and Vice President.  During an election year travel increases tremendously so here we are hauling vehicles, equipment, and people from city to city ahead of, and after, POTUS and VPOTUS events.  Things have been pretty slow up to this point so I’ve found myself in what I’m calling “practice retirement”.  It’s not really the same since all of the things I want to do back home I can’t do, but it’s been odd not “having” to do anything for, sometimes, many days in a row and I’m have a little trouble getting my head around it.

I’ve discovered that I do need to have goals and projects.  Don’t get me wrong.  I won’t miss the never ending cycle of ORIs, UCIs, ASEVs and SAVs, but I think we all need the expectations of events and the challenge of deadlines whether externally or internally driven.  I’ve seen lots of guys with years of potential left but, when they retire, they fall into the pit of “Where should I go for lunch today?”  That might be a lofty goal for some, but it’s not for me!

So here’s my challenge for you.  If you’ve been reading these for the last six months I hope you’ve had a glimpse onto my soul, into who I am.  But now I need your help.  What should I do when I retire?  There’s no right or wrong answer.  I value all of your suggestions.  Maybe there’s something I’m missing.  All options are on the table.  A friend of mine, who had worked for a US Senator, came to me two or three years ago and asked if I would consider running for Congress.  She had the contacts and experience and friends who would help. She was dead serious, but I don’t think I could put up with all of the endless yammering and not really saying anything.  And, as you all know, I think I’m a little to, shall we say, opinionated.

Anyway, I throw that out there because it’s outside the box and that’s ok.  That’s what I’m looking for.  Once I get all of my family and friends remodeling projects done, I need some direction.  Don’t be shy.  Either send your ideas straight to me or make a comment on the blog site.  Either way works.  Don’t leave me looking for new restaurants!