I was fortunate to have avoided that ‘count down’ phobia. One sunny day in my 25th year of teaching, the thought came very clearly: It is time. Do it. I did it and 23 years downstream from that day, I still believe it was the best decision I could have made. I and my wife of 58 years have laughed, hugged, traveled, enjoyed family vacations and each other’s company, and life in general. We are grateful for every minute since.
I put a calendar in my office at school and crossed off the days. It was by the door of my counseling office and many teachers and students would stop to look at it during the year. That was five years ago and I am so glad I left when I did!
Starting a countdown where you have years left is not really fun. Honest math, leap years and a really big number… nope, not fun. Plus coming up with the BIG number helps you remember how sucky it is right now.
Frazz ·11 hrs · Time flies, they will tell you. What they don’t tell you quite as often is that it can fly much as a hot air balloon flies: Slowly, in any direction conditions take it, while potentially casting a huge shadow over things.
GreasyOldTam almost 5 years ago
I’ve worked with people who did that.
mddshubby2005 almost 5 years ago
SO glad Gary Larson references are topical again!
Concretionist almost 5 years ago
That number on MY calendar is negative and growing ever more so. (happy sigh). Retirement’s the bee’s knees!
some idiot from R'lyeh Premium Member almost 5 years ago
Well, you could retire tomorrow.
It just might not be very comfortable.
jpayne4040 almost 5 years ago
This is why you don’t keep track until you have a few months left.
sandpiper almost 5 years ago
I was fortunate to have avoided that ‘count down’ phobia. One sunny day in my 25th year of teaching, the thought came very clearly: It is time. Do it. I did it and 23 years downstream from that day, I still believe it was the best decision I could have made. I and my wife of 58 years have laughed, hugged, traveled, enjoyed family vacations and each other’s company, and life in general. We are grateful for every minute since.
Mary Finkelstein Premium Member almost 5 years ago
I put a calendar in my office at school and crossed off the days. It was by the door of my counseling office and many teachers and students would stop to look at it during the year. That was five years ago and I am so glad I left when I did!
Jimmyk939 almost 5 years ago
Vietnam vets had an expression, “I’m short”. Nothing to do with height.
Fido (aka Felix Rex) almost 5 years ago
This is the Frazz Universe time line — it resets itself every year. Ms O’s countdown is actually ∞.
becida almost 5 years ago
Starting a countdown where you have years left is not really fun. Honest math, leap years and a really big number… nope, not fun. Plus coming up with the BIG number helps you remember how sucky it is right now.
Fido (aka Felix Rex) almost 5 years ago
4808 work hours to go.
Bill The Nuke almost 5 years ago
mine is somewhere around 730 days, give or take one financial crisis.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] almost 5 years ago
Jef Mallett’s Blog Posts
Frazz ·11 hrs · Time flies, they will tell you. What they don’t tell you quite as often is that it can fly much as a hot air balloon flies: Slowly, in any direction conditions take it, while potentially casting a huge shadow over things.
dougBelcher almost 5 years ago
Brilliant call out, especially now that is available on the internet
MichaelHelwig almost 5 years ago
Shouldn’t she have a Frazz Calendar?
TheWildSow almost 5 years ago
One Thousand Six Hundred and Twenty-Two. :-(
But that’s a drop in the bucket compared to the Thirteen Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixty-Nine I’ve been there already! :-)
sufamelico almost 5 years ago