{"id":66826,"date":"2020-01-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-08T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2020\/01\/08\/time-out-with-t-o-the-next-chapter\/"},"modified":"2022-09-02T17:38:53","modified_gmt":"2022-09-02T22:38:53","slug":"time-out-with-t-o-the-next-chapter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2020\/01\/08\/time-out-with-t-o-the-next-chapter\/","title":{"rendered":"Time out with T.O. – The next chapter"},"content":{"rendered":"

I admit it — I’m a big softie.<\/p>\n

I cry at movies. I choke up when they play “One Final Moment” after the Final Four. And I especially hate saying goodbye. <\/p>\n

So, as I brace for my retirement on Jan. 20, I need to be honest — my eyes are a little moist as I tap on my computer keys.<\/p>\n

\n

Retirement tea set for Jan. 15<\/h3>\n

The campus is invited to attend the retirement tea for Tom O’Connor on Jan. 15 from 3-5 p.m. in the Truhlsen Events Center on the first floor of the Sorrell Center.<\/p>\n

Remarks will begin at 3:30 p.m. Bill O’Neill, director of public relations, will emcee. Bob Bartee, vice chancellor for external affairs for UNMC and UNO, will speak. If anyone else wants to speak, an open microphone will be available.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

For the past 32 years, I have truly been blessed with the best public relations job in Omaha. <\/p>\n

There is an endless supply of stories coming out of the medical center. And, better yet, some of the most amazing faculty members and staff to tell them. I’ve loved every minute of it. <\/p>\n

Funny how this retirement thing sneaks up on you. In July, I will turn 70 — ouch, are you kidding me?<\/p>\n

As you get into your mid-60s, the question you invariably get from people is, “When are you going to retire?”<\/p>\n

Then, once people learn that you are retiring, the question becomes, “What are you going to do in retirement?” Or, “What’s your poor wife going to do with you around all day?”<\/p>\n

Those are good questions, no doubt. And, I’ll admit, I really have no idea how it’s going to play out. <\/p>\n

How do you know what anything is going to be like until you actually do it?<\/p>\n

I’ve received some great advice from people I respect. Don’t take on any new projects for the first six months. Stay active, join a fitness center. Find hobbies that you enjoy. Don’t retire cold turkey, cut back and slide into retirement gradually. <\/p>\n

It’s a little overwhelming. But this much I know: after a 43-year career in public relations, the one thing I can do is be flexible.<\/p>\n

I have absolutely zero doubt that I can handle this next chapter of my life.<\/p>\n

I have an awesome wife (Karen). She’s put up with me for 47 years. She’s a Type A. I’m a Type B. We balance each other out. Best of all, she still makes me laugh — every day.<\/p>\n

So, yes, we will both have to figure out this new gig and adjust accordingly. But I know we can do it. <\/p>\n

The positive indicators are all there. We both love to golf, we already belong to a fitness center, we have five grandkids within 15 minutes of our house, we love to take walks. The list goes on.<\/p>\n

In my quest to better prepare myself for retirement, I recently sought the advice of Mike Callan, a longtime friend who recently retired.<\/p>\n

Mike summed up retirement in 10 words — “You will do half as much in twice the time.”<\/p>\n

That works for me.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Retirement tea set for Jan. 15 for Tom O’Connor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":66818,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","department-unmc-today-todays-headlines","author_override-tom-oconnor-unmc-public-relations"],"yoast_head":"\nTime out with T.O. - The next chapter<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Retirement tea set for Jan. 15 for Tom O'Connor.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2020\/01\/08\/time-out-with-t-o-the-next-chapter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Time out with T.O. - 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