Like most self-funded retirees, it is becoming more difficult to make ends meet. With rising costs and a fixed income it doesn't take long to figure out that the funds you had planned on being available probably are not s-t-r-e-c-h-i-n-g quite as far as we had originally planned. That being the case when the opportunity arose to help a friend out working in the kitchen at a local Winery came along I thought "why not"?
The job was not quiet what had been portrayed by my friend. She had told me that I would just be helping in the kitchen. When I arrived on my first day, to my amazement, I was actually in charge of the kitchen and had others looking to me for instruction. As you can imagine I was not that pleased with my friend. However not being one to shy away from a challenge, I worked as fast and furiously as I could to feed more than 40 people in a busy restaurant on day 1. Since then I have drawn on years of corporate experience and quickly realised that if you have systems in place then everything and everyone just works better. Who would have thought that 30 years of corporate office experience would have transferrable skills in a restaurant. These changes have largely been small but the overall running of the kitchen has improved tremendously and the staff are pleased with the result. No longer working in a highly stressed situation they go home happier after every shift.
Working again after so many years is very strange indeed, particularly because for the last ten years of my career I was self employed, Having to "report" to someone is not my preferred situation but then again neither is owning another business with all the stresses that come with it.
I have only another 3 days before my friend returns and takes back the role. Would I help out again...probably! All of these experiences I now consider to be an adventure in retirement. I don't 'need' to work but I do 'need' to feel useful and working on a casual basis without the 'routine' might just be the answer. A day or two, a week or two here and there keeps you connected and involved. The money isn't bad either.
...and remember...have a fabulous retirementLIFE....
