Things I Will Not Miss When I Retire

I plan to retire from the compounding pharmacy where I’m a Pharmacy Technician, 1/31/2025. I have been there for 21 years, and at my previous job, project manager for a computer firm, for 17 years. In total, I have worked for about 50 years. This excercise is a reflective space to identify and acknowledge the stressors and challenges associated with my current job.

One of the items on my list is definitely not having to talk to difficult or irrational customers anymore. We have lots of nice, polite, sane customers but it only takes one phone call to ruin a day. On a daily basis, they often test my patience and communication skills. I often have to seek support from colleagues or supervisors when the situation escalates beyond control, and the limits of my medications.

I certainly will not miss having to argue for my vacation days. It is always a fight to just take a few days, of my supposed 4 weeks, off. They do not have the appropriate staff there and when someone is out it is near impossible to keep up with the orders. I also will not miss being exhausted when I get home every evening, mostly from stress.

I will not miss getting up an hour earlier than I really should just to keep the drive into work under an hour. Also, leaving at 5:00 to sit in a traffic jame for the hour ride home I will happily give up. Also, having to stop at the grocery, gas station, or chiropractor,adding time to the long drive will be an easy thing to relinquish.

Once the time changes and winter comes, getting home after dark will not be missed. Also, being forced to wash my scrubs every weekend and making my lunches for the whole week, to cut the daily prep time, will be a nice thing to take out of my routine.

I certainly look forward to being able to work on that long list of projects that have been piling up. I’ll miss a couple of co-workers but I’m sure that I can still be in the lives.