Retirement

Jerry worked as a production manager at the John Deere plant before he retired a couple of years ago. He took an early-retirement package as the company did some restructuring because he thought it might be nice to enjoy a hobby or two before he got really old. It had been a series of disappointments instead. First he could not decide which hobby he might like, then all the hobbies were boring or too costly, and now he couldn't do anything but think about finding a new job. But he was much too old to be scouting for work, especially in this small town they moved to, where there were no jobs except at the community center. Those were not jobs at all, but volunteer engagements - that's what he called them, because they sounded like something you'd be signing up for life to do.