Right off the bat, let’s get it clear that I am an out-of-work editor by choice and good luck.
My husband retired at age 53 and is retiring again next week at age 60. When I asked him what domain name I should give my website, without hesitation he suggested “out-of-work editor.” That could just have been his stress talking—the stress of having added a short but full-time and busy new career at the back end of his career, whereas I had recently retired from my 30-year career as an editor.
Our parental failure to take our children to Disney was due to a strict financial strategy aimed at his retirement at age 55, a goal he exceeded by two years. It has been my good luck to be married to a man with great financial sense. Notwithstanding the horrible coincidence of his having retired (the first time) just weeks before the crash of 2008, his careers and planning have stood us in good stead.
So, yes, I am out of work, happily. Still, I was an editor for a very long time and my identity will always include being an editor. Other identities I might have chosen for this site are “sister,” “wife,” “mother,” “cellist,” “bicyclist,” and “grandmother.”
My first thought for my domain name and on-line identity was “born in 1956,” because that’s what this blog will be about. I’ll turn that big round number 60 next year, and I’m turning from editing to writing to celebrate! You may read along or even put yourself to work as my editor to check that no modifiers are dangling and that all my subjects and verbs are in agreement.
Welcome to my 60th Birthday Bucket List!