I’ve been working for 40 years. When I turned 16, I started dishing out ice cream to my classmates and their families at the old Dairy Queen in Gas City. You don’t forget your first job, whether it’s delivering newspapers or slinging burgers, and for me, I’ll never forget the cute little white uniform all the girls wore, with bobby pins in our hair to keep the hat on. I’ll never forget the precise weight of an ice cream cone, or the hand movements needed to create the perfect swirl. And I’ll definitely never forget my first boss, Tom.

Now I’m not going to start telling you that I had to walk five miles through the snow, both ways, uphill, to get to school, but when it comes to service and kids these days, yes, I have an opinion. Good service is harder to come by, it really is. And I know this because of my previous boss, Tom. He wasn’t the most lovable character, but he ran a tight ship. That Dairy Queen would pass a white glove test at closing and opening, and I could take your order, memorize it, get it back to you perfectly and make change, all without batting an eye or losing my smile. And that was the bare minimum that Tom expected in his shop. He ran interviews like a teacher issuing a pop quiz, throwing out math questions and gathering report cards. My teenage self saw him as a tyrant, but now I can appreciate where he stood. As the boss, the buck stopped with him. Our mistakes were his mistakes, our habits a reflection of his own. And the forty years since walking into that Dairy Queen have taught me that while compassion and understanding are important to a successful and enjoyable workplace and life, cutting yourself or your employees too much slack is no way to run an ice cream stand or build a retirement. At some point, you have to recognize that the buck stops here. With you.

Now, with the big 6-0 creeping up on me, and not too slowly either, I find myself with a comfortable nest egg and reasonable plans for retirement. But I’m not ready to take that plunge yet, at least not all the way. I’m what you might call semi-retired. I’ll be sharing my travels towards retirement with you, and I might bring along my dog and my grandchildren some of the time. Hopefully I’ll be able to share some advice, but I’ll definitely be able to share some stories. So here’s to looking forward to late mornings, lots of travel, and discovering new hobbies…eventually. I’m Retiring Tina, and I still have some work to do.