Retirement by taffy

Retirement

I helped my husband today who has been cleaning out his office as he officially retires from his 45 years as a university professor (psychology). Between the isolation of Covid, the closed university, and being between sessions, this look captured to me what it feels like. Strange way to end what was an amazing career.
This photo is really special -- the architecture and the composition, of course, but the story it holds is what makes it memorable.
June 23rd, 2020  
Deeply poignant. A time that should be full of shared anecdotes, hand shaking and celebrations, yet it can’t be so right now. This image tugs at the core of me.
Wishing him all the very best in this next phase of life. More time with you! And more time to do loved things. I raise my breakfast mug of tea in his honour this morning and cheer you both on.
June 23rd, 2020  
Great presentation. He is leading on to new challenges. When I retired from teaching, I found 365 – may he find something as enjoyable.
June 23rd, 2020  
This is so on-point. 45 years, truly an exceptional career. The use of the long lonely hallway is so very powerful. Best wishes for his new path to be one of continued fulfillment in where ever it may lead. FAV!!!!!
June 23rd, 2020  
What an incredible time to be ending such a long dedicated career. This image portrays the lonely strange exit.
June 23rd, 2020  
What a great story telling and symbolic picture. All the best for him and you both, for this new path. May there be fullfilling and enjoyable moments every day.
June 23rd, 2020  

What @casablanca says is exactly what I would say! No real ending. fav
June 23rd, 2020  
Wow such a powerful image Taffy! I feel quite sad for Jim that his wonderful career should end at this very strange time in all our lives. It reminds me of my retirement (very early) which I had made such plans for. A big farewell party with colleagues from my early days in the bank invited along. All the drinks and food ordered and I was so happy so many people would be able to get up to the City to join me. Sadly my mum died the week of my retirement and I cancelled the whole thing. I never said a proper goodbye and even now I feel sad about it. I hope Jim is ok and looking forward to a wonderful retirement full of exciting adventures! Photography was my adventure and has taken me to many wonderful places and helped me makes so many great new friends. I wish Jim health and happiness!
June 23rd, 2020  
Well, heck, I want to cry now! There's a certain beauty in this shot, though, capturing the end of a career, which in itself is sad, but the bleakness of this capture underscores that even more. Great leading lines, though! Congrats to hubby on a completed career though!
June 23rd, 2020  
Powerful is the best word. Congrats on a wonderful career!
June 23rd, 2020  
He is now heading in a new direction. Your shot conveys a sense of
having completed a major life task and moving on to what's next
June 23rd, 2020  
Fav. Thanks for sharing.
June 23rd, 2020  
Such an amazing capture, I can only echo all the above and wish your hubby all the best for his future path.
June 23rd, 2020  
I'm sure that must have been a bittersweet day. Hope for the future, combined with a sadness of leaving his career behind. However, as one door closes many others open! A very memorable and poignant image, Taffy!
June 23rd, 2020  
I don’t think I could respond any better than @casablanca has. A great leading line without an ending
June 23rd, 2020  
You have encapsulated the new normal: Isolation, distance, the loss of colour, celebrations taking place virtually. Best wishes to you both.
June 23rd, 2020  
Lovely image but it really captures the moment with Jim's lonely figure walking away down the long walkway. He must have had very mixed feelings retiring during these strange times. Wishing him a very happy retirement.
June 23rd, 2020  
oh I hope this opens up beautiful things in life
June 23rd, 2020  
Great lines and processing
June 23rd, 2020  
Like another picture of the young girls in prom dresses for a prom that never happened, this is part of the story of 2020. It is a year that will be studied in history for sure.
June 23rd, 2020  
So poignant - so alone as he walks away in isolation . Wishing Jim a very happy retirement - the beginning of a new life !
A super shot , great pov and leading lines - fav
June 23rd, 2020  
Such a meaningful photo. Hopefully the retirement will bring him an interesting life.
June 23rd, 2020  
Quite a poignant shot. It must be quite a sad end to a long career in the current situation. Probably not the way he anticipated his last days of work would be.

I am sure he will be able to celebrate in the future and hope he finds lots to keep him occupied in retirement.
June 23rd, 2020  
This image says it all. I so hope that “after Covid” his colleagues can celebrate his amazing career. 45 years, oh my.
June 23rd, 2020  
Love it ...
June 23rd, 2020  
Great image to represent the long path he has covered, and the future path of retirement! Hope he's looking forward to it - we love it!
June 23rd, 2020  
This does show the sadness of the situation so well and it must be so difficult retiring under these circumstances. I hope Jim has a wonderful and long retirement doing all the things he has put off due to working. I know that I have done a lot more since retirement and I wish you both well. Fantastically moving picture to put in the memory bank
June 23rd, 2020  
Way in new life.. All the best! Maybe your husband will join to us? :-)
June 23rd, 2020  
Very poignant shot that tells a story. You presented it wonderfully.
June 23rd, 2020  
Outstanding leading line and capture of repetition, shapes
June 23rd, 2020  
Taffy these times have been very strange and you captured this moment perfectly
June 23rd, 2020  
oh my. well good luck to your husband on his retirement! and this is a very apt record of these strange and troubling times
June 23rd, 2020  
A poignant image, such a strange way to end his career. Hope he has a great retirement
June 23rd, 2020  
Very poignant storytelling image. I hope he gets to celebrate his career with his colleagues in the near future
June 23rd, 2020  
Lovely photo and I know the feeling. I'm retiring next week.
June 23rd, 2020  
This is such a powerful image. I cannot relate to such a long and illustrious career in teaching but when I was "retired" early (let go due to the lack of funding and was never able to find another position to replace it) I had to leave under a "gag" order of sorts. On my last day at school I was finally able to say I wouldn't be returning. It was awful. For the previous month I had been quietly removing all my books and resources- often after everyone else had left for the day. So your long, lonely hallway and deserted school brings back a flood of memories. I know it must be difficult to retire this way. There should be all kinds of thank yous and accolades. I hope that the new chapter is a good one and there'll be much to enjoy in the days to come. Congratulations and Best Wishes Jim!
June 23rd, 2020  
A momentous photo....love that picture of him on his own with his belongings!
A real capture of his time! Fave.
June 23rd, 2020  
Enjoy your retirement together.
June 23rd, 2020  
Life sometimes tells us when its time to move on.
June 23rd, 2020  
Awesome photo of strange times. Congrats to your hubby, now it is time to enjoy your retirement together.
2020 has been a strange year, it will go down in history........I think everyone will remember what they were doing in 2020 when covid19 arrived!
June 24th, 2020  
A moving image
June 24th, 2020  
He should be leaving with a band playing and rows of students applauding for him. This looks so forelorn, lonely, desolate. So sorry Jim
June 24th, 2020  
A great shot... it really tells a story!
June 24th, 2020  
Taffy, I can really relate to this photo as I, also, went into my District office today to wrap up my career in psychology and enter the world of retirement. I've been working as a School Psychologist in our public school system. Today, I turned in my test kits that belong to the District, my closed referral cases, my District-owned laptop, my swipe key and badge. I couldn't have pictured this as the way this school year would end but, in a way, having schools closed and working from home these past few months has made for a transition period and time to get a taste of what being at home is going to be like, and there are some parts of it that I actually like alot. It's definitely been bittersweet for me. I will miss the people I work with, my schools, and the kids, but a number of our retired School Psychologists meet for lunch monthly (or did before Covid 19), so when this virus is over I will join their ranks and reconnect with some of the people I used to work with and you may, very possibly, notice an increase in photos posted on 365. I wish your husband the very best. May the new opening up of time be filled with new passions, growing, and the making of wonderful memories. By the way, your photo is great on its own, and even more so because of its personal meaning to both of you. Fav
June 24th, 2020  
Poignant photo. Very touching. All the best to your husband!
June 24th, 2020  
Such a poignant shot, Taffy. Let's hope Jim's career is celebrated when times are better.
June 24th, 2020  
Magnificent in B&W. Such a sad time to end a career. When I retired last year, there were parties, tributes and all kinds of ways to feel appreciated. My friends who retired this year got nothing like that. Plus they had a very stressful final year. I hope your husband feels good about the next chapter in his life. I'm sure he has earned it.
June 24th, 2020  
A wonderful photo - the solitary Jim walking away is just so sad. I wish your husband a retirement full of all the things he loves to do.
June 24th, 2020  
perfectly captured . Welcome to retirement and I hope he finds something he enjoys to keep him busy. Hopefully you two will be able to spend time on your island this summer.
June 24th, 2020  
Lovely lines, I wish him a long and happy retirement
June 24th, 2020  
And onward to something new.
June 24th, 2020  
That is a somewhat haunting image. It seems such an anti-climax to a professional life spanning 45 years. On the other hand - retirement is marvellous!! Congratulations to your husband on his new freedom. :)
June 25th, 2020  
I missed this yesterday - a marvelous picture that certainly captured the moment in time in today's circumstances. I'm sure Jim woke to wondering what to do with his time - but as busy as you two stay, I feel sure he'll take to retirement quite nicely. Congratulations on a wonderful career.
June 25th, 2020  
@chejja Your comments were poignant. It's bittersweet for sure, as he is pleased to be retiring and doesn't really want to have too much of a 'todo" made of it, but it's so strange to just clean out his office and walk away. It probably is bothering me more than him!
June 25th, 2020  
@allie912 Thanks for your thoughts. And yes, Jim is feeling okay about next phases, but not sure what they'll look like. Retirement is great, isn't it?
June 25th, 2020  
@robz I agree -- we are so fortunate to be retired! Gives us time for 365! And now he just needs to find his next interests.
June 25th, 2020  
@olivetreeann Oh gosh, what an awful way to retire! At least with Jim, he's able to be happy about the act of retiring, even if the way it's happening is really odd.
June 25th, 2020  
@jgpittenger Thanks for the kind words! I'm sure in normal times, there would at least have been the students seeing him off!
June 25th, 2020  
@pamknowler Oh gosh, such a sad way to retire! Thanks for sharing your story. Jim's been OK about the situation, though it's so strangely anticlimactic.
June 25th, 2020  
What a lovely tribute, though. It’s definitely a strange year. I hope you can celebrate at some point.
June 25th, 2020  
Leaving public work - certainly a decisive moment for everyone. I wish your husband all the best in this new phase of life. Also for you. I am waiting for this moment with mixed feelings.
Great picture - a path that leads into the indefinite distance ...
June 25th, 2020  
@jerome Thank you for the visits and comments (I do like making cookies almost as much as photographing, but photos don't cause me to gain weight!). It's a big decision to retire, you are so right about that. It's the right decision and the right time, but it is such a strange time to not be able to make it feel celebratory.
June 25th, 2020  
He deserves 45 hugs and kisses but with this frakin’virus,U can’t even do that virtually— Best wishes to him,sell your condo,move closer to nature,buy a small house with huge backyard for him to enjoy gardening or just to relax and enjoy the beach💕
June 25th, 2020  
What a poignant shot and such a long career. Sad time to retire. Best of luck to both of you!
June 26th, 2020  
Congratulations on TT!
June 26th, 2020  
Jim made TT ! Congrats!
June 26th, 2020  
@jyokota @vesna0210 Thanks for letting me know! This is very satisfying, actually. Like a commemoration for Jim that happened online in lieu of being able to actually celebrate in person.
June 27th, 2020  
@taffy It's because your photo is so evocative, so excellent, so full of story.
June 27th, 2020  
I’m sorry I missed this one. I think it conveys a strong feeling... being 30 years in my career and just starting the last third of it I dread that moment. I so much look forward to meeting you and Jim in person!
June 29th, 2020  
What a special photo - a memory of a truly exceptional career. I hope he enjoys his retirement and that the university can celebrate him properly when life becomes more normal again.
July 8th, 2020  
Beautiful capture, my best wishes to you both!
July 25th, 2020  
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