I'm feeling a bit pensive today. I taught my last class this morning. Aside from the usual end-of-term grading, I'm finally at the precipice of real retirement. On June 15th I go off the PSU, OUS, and State payroll for the first time since 1970. Of course, I remain a ward of the state, drawing my PERS benefit until either I or my wife dies (whichever comes last). I draw my PERS benefits unbowed and unfazed by all the criticisms we public employees have had to endure (and continue to endure) for most of our careers. Regardless of what people say to you or about you -- we all EARNED our benefit, however large (or small) it might seem to others. I taught these past 3 years since I started drawing my PERS benefit with as much enthusiasm, preparation, and dedication as I had in teaching each of the 32 years that preceded the last 3; I'm simply unable to do my job any other way. And I have no doubt that every other public employee and retiree can look themselves in the mirror each morning and say proudly that "I gave my all at the office, whether anyone 'appreciated' me or not. I am not a slacker, seeking succor at the teats of Oregon taxpayers." Recite this like an anthem every morning. When you're done doing this, look carefully at the song lyrics below, for they are what keep me going every day. They're not a prayer, although they could be. They are simply a set of beautiful and haunting lyrics that remind me daily what tasks lie ahead. Peace all.
Lovers in a Dangerous Time(c) 1983 Bruce Cockburn
Don't the hours grow shorter as the days go by
You never get to stop and open your eyes
One day you're waiting for the sky to fall
The next you're dazzled by the beauty of it all
When you're lovers in a dangerous time
Lovers in a dangerous time
These fragile bodies of touch and taste
This vibrant skin -- this hair like lace
Spirits open to the thrust of grace
Never a breath you can afford to waste
When you're lovers in a dangerous time
Lovers in a dangerous time
When you're lovers in a dangerous time
Sometimes you're made to feel as if your love's a crime --
But nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight --
Got to kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight
When you're lovers in a dangerous time
Lovers in a dangerous time
And we're lovers in a dangerous time
Lovers in a dangerous time
If you want to 'hear' these lyrics, you can find a dozen different versions by Bruce Cockburn, or one spectacular cover of the same song by Barenaked Ladies.
Enjoy your weekend. I'll be back on Monday.
Enjoy your weekend. I'll be back on Monday.
1 comment:
Hello Fearless,
I applaud your courage for retiring in the face of so much uncertainty. I also appreciate your diligence in following the PERS litigation and have been following your posts.
You may think this futile - and it probably is - but I just emailed the following message to be forwarded to the Supreme Court Justices who will be ruling on the Lipscomb Decision. I doubt that it will be read by any of them, and I'll no doubt receive a reply - if I receive a reply at all - from some clerk of the works. Still, it made me feel better to send it:
Please forward this message to the Justices who will be ruling on this case:
Honorable Justices:
I am writing to plead with you to issue a ruling soon regarding the City of Eugene case (Lipscomb Decision). My husband has been an employee of the State of Oregon working for ODOT for over 30 years, and I have been working for the OUS for 15 years. My husband had planned to retire at 30 years last September. However, because of the PERS litigation, he has put his life and our future on hold because he is reluctant to retire before he knows what his benefit will be for the rest of our lives.
I will be eligible to draw retirement in November, and am also reluctant to do so until the Lipscomb Decision is ruled upon. It is "cruel and unusual punishment" that - after the many years we have been public employees working at lower wages than we would have received in the private sector, but staying because we have been devoted to our jobs and hoped for good retirements - we now find ourselves facing a much bleaker future if Lipscomb is upheld.
My husband is a perfect example of a public employee who often goes above and beyond the call of duty. He is a field mechanic working in eastern Oregon, and is called out at all hours in all kinds of weather - especially during the winter - to ensure that equipment is in good repair to keep the roads and freeways of Oregon maintained for the safety of its citizens. He has often been the first person to arrive on the scene of an accident; some involving fatalities, and radios the state police to render assistance. He does not deserve this at the end of a long and faithful career of helping the people of Oregon.
Please put an end to our suffering, that of others like us, and those who have retired since 1999 who continue to work and/or wait doggedly through these miserable times as quickly as possible. If you are not able to do so, I would appreciate knowing why.
Sincerely,
Connie Johnson
Answerland at Pierce Library
Eastern Oregon University
cjohnso2@eou.edu
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