I grew up in a little town on Lake Superior. Ashland is at the very top of Wisconsin, between Minnesota and Michigan. Back in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, the only local news we received via television, was from Minnesota.
For the longest time I knew that Rudy Perpich was the governor of Minnesota, but I could not tell you who the name of Wisconsin’s governor.
The same was true of sports coverage. I knew about Bud Grant and the Vikings and I had been to a University of Minnesota homecoming football game. I have to admit, I was never a huge Packer fan.
After attending the University of Wisconsin where I was teased almost nonstop for coming from the other end of the Earth, I began to cheer for Wisconsin teams, namely the Badgers. I was still not much of a Packer fan.
In my working years, I became very well acquainted with Packer fans. A lot of my friends were, big Brett Favre fans. Even my sister and her family are all Packer fans. TJ and Adam both have Packer shirts and now that Adam is actually 4, he loves to wear his Brett Favre jersey.
In January of 2006, I went to work for the last time. It was just another work day for me. I was working on projects, trying to “put out fires” and fix problems all day long while keeping my cool and getting other things done. There was just one problem. I wasn’t feeling well.
My back was hurting a lot. I had back surgery in 2003 and after a long recovery I was back at work full time. I had 6 pain free months in 2005, but by October of 2005, my back started to hurt and it hasn’t stopped. It was also hurting more and more each day. I kept working through the pain and started using vacation days to try and regroup.
And then on a normal January day, I got to work and looked at the clock and wondered how long I could sit there, before I could go home and take my meds and lay down. I only made it one and a half hours.
By the time I got home, I was shaking and sweating and the pain was so bad I was in tears. I took my meds and went to bed. And that was the end to my 20 year career in the insurance industry. No press conference, no cake, no watch, no speech, just the end.
For the next 5 or 6 weeks, I got up every morning and got dressed for work, or at least I tried to, but I never went back. I always thought I would feel better and I would be returning to my job just as soon as they figured out what I could do to feel better. There had to be something to stop the mind-numbing pain and still allow me to think clearly and get my life back on track, but there was no relief. There is still no relief.
And so a few days ago, I read an article in the paper about Brett Favre coming back to work, he wants to play for the Packers again or for anybody. He is still physically able to play the rough game of professional football and no-doubt has some good games left in his arm.
But Brett had a tearful press conference announcing his retirement at the end of last season. It made front page news in Wisconsin and many folks were upset to the point of tears. And now Brett changed his mind and he doesn’t want to be retired, he wants to keep playing.
Well Brett, join the club. The club of adults forced to retire before they are ready for a variety of reasons from health issues, to caring for a family member, etc.
I would give anything to be able to return to my old job and be able to spend my days doing my job instead of spending my days looking around and hoping I find something to make the day go by quickly. I spent yesterday shredding our personal mail I saved up and polishing a copper trivet.
I understand the panic that set in when the training camps began gearing up and Brett has no where to go. It’s the same way I feel every morning when I see my husband and our neighbors get in their cars and drive to their jobs. I see it every morning and every morning I wish I was going with them, but I can’t.
Even if I did return, it wouldn’t be the same. I can’t work like I did in the past. If I could still do it, I would never have stopped working, but I did stop, I had to.
I can’t tell you how many mornings, I tried to get dressed and go out the door and drive myself to work. I ended up in tears and my husband kept saying “maybe tomorrow” even though he knew as well as I did that tomorrow was not going to be any different than today.
So Brett, I understand the feeling of growing older and the loss of what you were proud of...your job. But there is a time for everything and although you still feel like you could play, maybe your first instinct, retirement was a wise one and perhaps it’s something you should take seriously.
We all want to play, we all want to feel like we did 20 years ago when we ran around and worked hard and played hard and never gave a thought to retirement. Believe me, no one wants to be retired in the prime of their life. But that’s the way it is sometimes.
You are lucky Brett, when you stopped working you were able to say goodbye publicly and thank all the people that supported you and loved you. Now is the time to remember that day and think back to what made you decide to retire.
I wish I had the opportunity to retire and choose my date instead of leaving my coworkers abruptly and never having the opportunity to thank any of them for helping me do my job better and for being my friend. I didn’t get a press conference, everyone in the state did not wait with bated breath wondering if I was going to be able to work anymore, my husband and I were the only ones who witnessed my struggle to let go of my freedom, my independence and my job.
It’s time to move on Brett and not to another team. Let the legend you created, remain in Green Bay where it belongs and return to the game you love in another capacity. Perhaps an assistant coach? or a high school coach? or maybe just a volunteer parent at your children’s school?
You can’t play forever and even if you do get another job as a quarterback, you can’t turn back the clock, you do not get a “do-over” for your career.
Be proud of what you achieved and move on. It’s the right thing to do.
Thanks for listening.
Anne
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