I had written the letter a year earlier as a way of setting out my intentions. I had decided to leave my job at a future time of my choosing rather than resign in the face of current aggravations. So, I wrote out my letter of resignation stating that I had achieved what I had been recruited to do (true) and that I would leave to take a break before seeking my next challenge (less true). It took a year for me to reach the point where I would re-date and print the letter and hand it my boss.
He accepted it and did not seek to change my mind. This served as confirmation that I had made the right move as far as this job was concerned. My job had run its’ course but I had pressed the eject button before they did. I may have missed out on a redundancy payment but I had missed out on some aggravation too. Later a colleague on hearing my news queried my lack of a next job to go to. “You must be minted” he said. I chose not to react save a shy slight smile. He had, however, called it right. After almost thirty years in work and aged in my early 50’s I felt I was in a financial position to walk away from this job, and if I chose to from all jobs.