What do I call myself? Since I was 21 I was always quick to answer “teacher” or “high school director”. Now I needed a new title. I couldn’t imagine simply introducing myself as Michael Higgins. I needed a title. My vanity simply demanded one! I first went to “Michael, the Unemployed” cause I was without a job and had no boss to attend to. I didn’t make new money every day – much of my living was going to be based on my smart use of my past. So there I was, “unemployed.”
But on days of better mental health that seemed to be very negative. After all, I was on a pension – that was job-like and I wasn’t needing to hunt down a new job. I wasn’t bad off – in fact I was very, very blessed so “unemployed” didn’t work – – I must be “retired” I had no idea what going to be expect of me – or in fact if anything WAS going to be inspected of me – but had a new title and it sounded much healthier – so now I go around the block introducing myself in a most fearless way as “Michael Higgins, the Retired.”