Guess What Came In The Mail Today?

When I looked through the mail today, there was the usual assortment of bills and advertisements.

Then I saw it. It was a large white envelope with a Springfield, Illinois, postmark. It was from the Illinois Teachers' Retirement System.

It was the forms I need to fill out--where do I want the check sent, which insurance do I want, how many sick days do I have left.

Scary. But scarier yet is the thought that I am very lucky! The Illinois House of Representatives voted today to raise the retirment age for government employees, including teachers, from its current 55 to 67. Ouch. If that were the case for me, I would be working nine more years. Whew. I don't think I could make it. And after all, do they really want me to be there at that age.

Of course, if I stayed until 67 I would beat the record for years teaching at our school. Currently, the record is 42 years. Let's see--33 + 9 would be . . .

Damn. My math is terrible, I would only have 42. A tie! I would have to stay until age 68!