Today is your day Boomer! And today is a very special day for me and thousands of other Boomers across Canada! It is back-to-school day and we-retired teachers, educational assistants, school secretaries, custodians, bus drivers, and administrators-are not there! Instead, we are practicing what is called "To Hell With the Bell"....an annual gathering of retired educators who share a meal, tell old stories, and just relax on what used to be (for us)one of the busiest days of the year! It is a fairly-recent tradition across our country and this is what happens at exactly 9am: a retiree picks up an old school bell, rings it, and the group sitting around the long table shout “To hell with the bell.” Then they go back to whatever they were doing, eating their breakfast, sipping their coffee, chatting with the person sitting next to them. One teacher says "It's remembering the good times of the job, but also celebrating the freedom retirement brings. I loved going back to school, the social interaction, but I don't miss the stress.” For me, it has been five years of retirement and I have never met a teacher who regrets leaving school. Boomers, it is a new exciting phase of life that we should celebrate and enjoy! Here's to us! Cheers!

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