I finally did it. I’m retired! Sort of.
I have some splainin’ to do here, Lucy, so please permit. For my entire adult life, I’ve been waking up at 3:30 AM (or thereabouts) to do a morning radio show. On weekends, I sleep in ‘til 5 AM.
I love it. I’m done at 9 AM and am home for lunch and a nap while everyone else is staring down the 9-to-5. For the last 21 years, I return for an afternoon show from 3-6 (NewsTalk 93.1FM). Unlike years ago, I don’t party and have evolved into an almost annoyingly disciplined person.
Over the last couple of years, my GP, Dr. Dennis Woodling, has hinted that I might prolong my life by reducing that schedule. I never gave it much thought until this past summer.
This summer was brutal. An aortic aneurysm repair in July spared me a drop-dead event, but recovery has been tough. Last month, I started thinking about cutting back after barely navigating my schedule without day-end exhaustion.
First consideration was money. Giving up one of the 2 shows would have been a financial hit- not disastrous- but I still like spoiling my daughter and others and am not inclined to tighten the grip on my wallet.
When my AARP surgeon suggested (at the follow-up) there was no point to enduring the surgery if I continue working an insane schedule.
“I’m tired”, I complained when reporting 3 weeks after the procedure. He was unsympathetic. Doc said, “Look at your age! Your routine! Find a way to cut back or the Good Lord will do it for you!”
Ya gotta love an honest doc.
I began plotting a cutback. Should I give up one of the shows? For me that was like picking among my children.
Quitting either was not an option, especially after some healthy ratings. Both are great fun. I never see it as “work”- and I love the great people who work with me.
Then I remembered Johnny Carson.
BOOMers know Johnny. He was the undisputed king of late-night TV, with a 30-year run that began in 1962. This was at a time when people tuned in at 10:30 PM for laughs and entertainment. Today’s pathetic nighttime hosts have embraced political lecturing and avidly eschew anyone who might dare to express a conservative opinion. God forbid!
As a result, late-night viewing has dwindled from Carson’s 20 million-plus per night average to a mere fraction of those numbers.
Carson welcomed everyone. He was paid handsomely for his five-night-a-week grind. He was worth every penny of the multi-million dollar salary he earned, but in the 70s and 80s he decided to dial things back.
There was actual outrage when he took summers off in the late 70s, and even more when he asked and received a 4-day work week from NBC until he retired in 1992.
So, inspired by Johnny’s plan, I decided to ask for Friday afternoons off moving forward.
I’m not good at asking the boss for things, but armed with medical support for my request, I mustered the courage to see my boss, Rick Peters, and ask for my work week to end at 9 AM on Fridays. Mornings Monday-Friday, afternoons Monday-Thursday. That would create a near 3-day weekend-without abandoning either show.
I took a deep breath, made my request, and he said (drum roll), “OK. Good idea.”
That was much easier than I expected!
He put the new schedule into effect immediately. 9 AM Friday morning arrived, and I was done for the week!
I went home, had some lunch, took a nap as I do every day, and then woke up realizing I had nowhere to go that afternoon.
I’m an annoyingly disciplined person, and when 2:36 PM came along and I was not in my car aiming for Radioland, I was flummoxed.
It felt wrong. In fact, I had every Friday in September to get used to this arrangement and have failed terribly. I spent every Friday afternoon doing absolutely nothing productive while feeling lazy.
I didn’t take up pickleball. Or occupy a park bench feeding random birds. My golf clubs remain crusty from the last round I played ages ago.
Most of those newfound off hours were spent on a patio smoking cigarettes and guzzling Diet Cokes.
That’s not totally true. Some of my free time has been spent doing (drum roll #2)- CHORES!
I’ve learned when to squirt my Swiffer on the floor. I’ve kept up with laundry and changed the bedding more often. I have time to do as they do on fabric softener commercials- grab a freshly dried load and smile after a big, deep breath.
Instead of using the “retirement” time to take a class or finish my degree, I’ve mastered the dishwasher and putting dishes where they’re supposed to go. Most of the time. This is all very unnatural to me because I’m a slob at heart.
My cat, Calliope, has benefitted. I’ve brushed an extra cat’s worth of fur out of her, and she is pleased with that routine.
This is going to take some getting used to. I’m struggling with breaking the BOOMer work ethic.
The good news is I’m feeling better after the surgery and can resume bike riding this month. That’s a great way to kill some time as the weather slowly cools down.
My hat is tipped to BOOMers enjoying active full retirements! It’s an adjustment, whether it’s a full stop or similar to my incremental plan.
Who knows? At this rate, by November I could be raking leaves or washing my own car!
But probably not.
Greg Budell has lived in Montgomery for 20 years. A 50+ year veteran of radio, TV and writing, Greg hosts the Newstalk 93.1FM Morning Show with Rich Thomas and Jay Scott, 6-9 AM Monday – Friday. He returns Monday – Thursday afternoons from 3-6 PM for Happy Hour with Pamela Dubuque and a variety of sidekicks. His favorite topic is life! Greg can be reached at gregbudell@aol.com.