In one sense it's all pretty obvious: most people, I reckon, would be ready for something new after forty-odd years of earning a living. and I certainly fall into that category.
But my mind was starkly focused on what was important in life when my best friend (more like a brother really) Chris, was diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer - a Neuroendocrine Tumour (NET), to be precise.
The bugger would get the rare, hard to diagnose one...
Thankfully, his NET seems to have been a low grade, non-invasive type. Following some pretty radical surgery (1m+ of bowel removed - but some of that was because of other problems Chris was having with his innards - he also had a rare and otherwise incurable form of colitis) he seems to be doing really well, and we're optimistic that we'll have him around for a long, long time - but this is the kind of thing which makes you re-evaluate and realise what's really important in life, and working for a living ain't it...
About a year ago, I was about to go through the interminable bullshit that is a Civil Service promotion board, when I realised (at about the same time that Chris was diagnosed) that I just wasn't interested in the job any more.
I am (was) good at what I do (did) - as a very experienced Data Protection practitioner/Subject Matter Expert I was responsible, to a significant degree, for the lack of DPA screw-ups by my department: I was proud of my achievements; it was important stuff; and I'd had enough.
So - more in hope than in expectation, I plugged my numbers into something called the Civil Service Retirement Modeller.
And - fuck me - the figures that came out were very doable.
Well, that was that..!
I withdrew from the promotion exercise (which I resented having to do anyway - I was applying for the job I was already doing, and doing really well, a fact which counted for precisely sweet FA), and - as of April 5 2019, I have become (as I've taken to styling myself!) a financially independent man of leisure...
I should add that this wouldn't have been an option but for some success in reclaiming mis-sold PPI, to the tune of - I kid you not - £97,549.77, which makes for a very acceptable safety net, as you might imagine!
I'd already paid my mortgage off in 2017 (smartest thing I've ever done financially was to take out a 20 year mortgage), and my PPI, along with a pension lump sum of £54,888.73, mean that I should OK for cash, given that after all essential outgoings and living expenses, I'll have about £630 a month left from my monthly pension.
I'm not boasting - it's all relative, and this isn't a lot of money to some people. even though it gives me a warm glow, but it explains pretty clearly why the idea of taking the opportunity to make my time my own had so much appeal.
And this is early retirement: I'm only 58, and for the most part as fit as a butcher's dog, so I want to make the most of my health while I've got it, because you just don't know...
The best thing of all is that Chris' recovery continues, and he's as keen to get back on the bank as I am.
Odd, really - his idea of a good day's fishing was always to cast out a couple of deadbaits for pike, switch on his electronic bite indicators, and then go to sleep on the bank; the sleeping was always the most important bit, as far as I can tell. To be fair, he was very good at it...!
He also retired early, and it'll be nice to have my playmate back!