Time to get away from the dreary Melbourne winters and get some sunshine. I’ve been fortunate the last couple of years to be able to get away for a couple of weeks every winter (similar to my time in the Navy) and remove the chill from the bones and at least stop shaking for a while. Ha ha.
Over the last couple of months I have finally started to work out my battles and which one I want to fight and which one to not surrender, but control my efforts in fighting. I’m afraid that my time for beating the Government is over. Too many references, too many phone calls, too many well meaning people that have absolutely no idea what is going on and no idea what branches of the military do. What rank they ask, Petty Officer I reply, is that like a Sergeant, Yes I reply, sort of. Do you know what a Sergeant does, I ask, Middle Management they reply, no more time on the tools, direct and correct they say. Couldn’t be further from the truth. Just as well that I am strong willed person with a supportive family because otherwise I can understand how many veterans who have no support network would just find it all too difficult. I had the recent experience of the dept of the government who is supposed to look after me and my colleagues, rang to say sorry but you have been overpaid because compensation had been paid to me by another organisation after three years of going through the courts, and I had to pay back over $50,000. Whilst I undersand the premise of the situation, the department failed to acknowledge the administrative error and just said it was one of those things, picked up during an audit.
I was 17 when I joined the Military, full of enthusiasm and a desire to learn and see the bright lights of the world. I do not regret a moment that I had in the service. I only wish that I had known what I know now about the system, and kept paper records.
Sorry for starting so positive, and going the other way very quickly. Easy to do these days. I can only function in the mornings, the afternoons are hard to motivate myself to due to the extreme fatigue that is my life. Still, the mornings are spent at the gym, golf, walking the dogs and trying to plan holidays, either in Australia or Overseas.
Of course the dream is to live 6 months here in Aus and travel the other six. Air BnB in Scotland in a windswept little village with the internet, pub and local golfcourse is the vision that drives me. Might even get my Aston Martin to run around in.
Let me know your Retirement dream. I know we are a long time retired but……
The world is so small now.
Youngy's Yak 