Well I did it...I pulled the trigger and retired. Ironically someone I respect quite a bit sent me a note to congratulate me and added..."is this permanent or just an interim thing?" Who knows?

Many years ago I was part of a men's small group made up of CEO's. We met at 6:30 every Thursday morning for breakfast, fellowship, prayer and just time together to encourage and care for each other. I miss that group more than almost anything else I've been part of but that is a story for another time. In that group we were talking about the challenges of leading companies and I said that sometimes I just wanted to give it all up and move to Montana an buy an old hardware store.

One of my fellow CEO's listened and then said ..."yeah right, you would buy the place, refinish all the old hardwood floors to get rid of the creaks and then automate the inventory and to be searchable via computer, take special orders, build a porch out front with rocking chairs and install an espresso machine so you could serve lattes. Once you got it running smoothly you would franchise it and move on to the next big thing." So who knows if this is permanent...only time will tell.

My wife has not yet gotten tired of me around the house. So far she likes that I am cooking more often. I love to cook so that is not bad. I've joined a gym...the last time I belonged to a gym Ronald Reagan was President. But on the other hand I am enjoying the time to clear my head and maybe lose some of the stress weight I have gained over the past 25 years. Yes you can laugh at the idea of stress weight over 25 years and say that sounds ridiculous...25 years of stress? But most CEOs know what that is like...you worry about the company, the employees, the families of employees, the shareholders, the stakeholders, the customers. It doesn't end at sun down, or even in the garage as you get out of the car. It is a 24 hour a day thing.

Just to put that in perspective...I retired nearly a month ago and I am still going to bed at night thinking about the people who use to work for me. I think about things that probably are falling through the cracks, not because I was so good but because the organization was still not structured to have someone take up what I left behind. The website is still being build, the development plan is still not finalized, finances are still in a bit of flux. But, I could have stayed for another five years and those things would still be in work. They will never really be finished, or at least they shouldn't be. But the point...even when you leave you still care. Being in charge is more than a job...it's part of you, if you really do it right.

Now I get to spend one day a week with my grandson...the smartest boy on the planet. Some day I will get to spend some more time with his little brother, though for now he comes attached to his mother, if you know what I mean, but that will pass with age. It is a joy to take him to the museum, or have lunch at the train restaurant. Yesterday he had the biggest eyes in the world when he saw the cases at Dunkin Donuts. Grandma wanted coffee but we ended up with three donuts for the road as well. Who knows what next week will hold...maybe a forklift at Home Depot or Costco...the world is so exciting.

I've been thinking about building a house...something one story or at least with a first floor master bedroom and a nautilus shower, something I've always wanted. A study that has a view and good lighting so I can write. Maybe the "Great American Novel" is buried in me somewhere, though that is unlikely. But maybe, a good book on Christian Business Ethics or something might be there.

Maybe I will start my executive coaching firm or at least begin to mentor young executives again. I did some of that in the past and I enjoyed the time.

Who knows...the opportunities are limitless right now. The horizon is far off and the time it takes to get there is passing slowly for now. In the mean time I just know that I look forward to the night that I go to sleep and not worry about someone or something at the company. I look forward to spending time with the world's greatest grandson and with any luck I will make a trip to Europe to visit his cousin...the world last remaining true princess. I'm hoping she will teach me to dance.

So for all of you who were wondering...I'm doing fine. I'm working on getting use to this retirement thing and I am not planning on franchising anything for the time being. Stay tuned.