Redundancy and Early Retirement
My Journey
I worked in a minimum security correctional centre, teaching and managing education programs for male inmates for over 22 years.
I was made redundant in December 2016 and I look back at all the posts I wrote during this difficult time, from the announcement in May 2016 to my final week at work in December 2016.
‘You aren’t redundant — your job is redundant. You are still a much-loved, important, powerful and precious mother, husband, father, wife, person’.
We were important and we were valued by our colleagues and students. We worked hard for many years to improve the lives of our students. Senior management and Government ministers might not recognise or thank us for what we’ve accomplished, but luckily we know our own worth.
Writing these posts during this awful time helped me to cope, it gave me an outlet, a voice. Finding other bloggers in similar situations also helped.

Please feel free to contact me or leave me a message.
- Shout-out Saturday is back in 2021
- Night lights for #SundayStills
- A perfectly uplifting Sunday
- A retrospective taking stock for #SundayStills
- Reading my way through 2020
- The wisdom of trees for Wordless Wednesday
- A look back at my world of blogging during 2020
- Remembering December 2020
- 60 years old and feeling BOLD! Sharing my WOTY for 2021
- What was the best decision you made in 2020?
- From my World to yours….
- Ready to jump ship – a year of jumping comes to an end!
- Happy Beddian Birthday to those of us born in 1960!
- Wordy Wednesday – It’s all about Ruby
- Shout Out Saturday #18 – An up and down week
- Wordy Wednesday – Furious Fiction
- Finding my MOJO in November – Jumping on board
- The texture of a tree for #SundayStills
- Shout Out Saturday #17 – Writing it all down
- Colour in the sky – Wordless Wednesday
- Taking Stock – a look at life today
- What are you thankful for in 2020? #SundayStills
- Shout Out Saturday #16 – Celebrating Premature babies, Flowers and Art
- Friday Fiction – what’s been read lately?
- A bridge to history – Wordless Wednesday
- Shout Out Saturday #15 – Memories
- Debbie On Turning 60 – Reflections on Riding the Waves of Life – Women Living Well After 50
- Wordy Wednesday – Blogging Friends
- How have you weathered the years? #SundayStills
- Shout Out Saturday #14 – keeping it real
- A one sided conversation – Wordless Wednesday
- Jump starting my way through October
- On the Spring Flower Festival Trail in Tumbarumba
- Shout Out Saturday #13 – keeping it local
- Walk for Prems 2020, or in my case, Ride for Prems. Be kind and generous – always!
- It takes all kinds – Wordless Wednesday
- Shout Out Saturday #12 – Keeping it in the family
- Morning sunshine and a cute cottage garden – Wordless Wednesday
- Where’s your happy place?
- Shout Out Saturday #11 – Be Kind
- Kind of mesmerising – Wordless Wednesday
- I have never….
- Painting faces with Ochre for #SundayStills
- Shout Out Saturday#10 – the Deborra-Lee Furness and Hugh Jackman edition!
- If you could rule the world for a day, what would you change?
- Light at the end of the tunnel? – Wordless Wednesday
- Not every paradise is tropical – a dry run!
- Shout Out Saturday#9 – self care and sharing
- Finding different ways of jumping through September due to a dodgy knee
- Where the bush meets the beach – Wordless Wednesday
- Before you give up, think about why you held on so long
- Shout Out Saturday#8 – who deserves a shout out??
- Sweetness and light – Wordless Wednesday
- Towering all over the world
- Proving that you’re never too old to learn something new
- Shout Out Saturday#7 – who gets your shout out today??
- A Flourishing Season – a family photo challenge
- Where were you during the Sydney Olympics in 2000?
- Shout Out Saturday#6 – Would you like to give someone a shout out??
- An update on my list of 12 things to do before turning 60
- Taking Stock – life at the moment
- Shout Out Saturday#5 – Do you have something to share??
- Good morning, farewell winter – Wordless Wednesday
- Jumping in and out of August
- Oops, I did it again! Sharing snaps for #lifethisweek
- Shout Out Saturday#4 – Care to share?
- A snow day on the Tumbarumba to Rosewood Rail Trail – Wordless Wednesday
- Composition – a family photo challenge
- What’s the view like from your window?
- Shout Out Saturday#3 – what are you sharing?
- Hip hip hooray, it’s Dottie’s first birthday!
- What do I really really want?
- Shout Out Saturday#2 – sharing is caring
- Friday Fiction – Books and movies are great company
- What a difference a week makes – Wordless Wednesday
- The awe-inspiring Glass House Mountains
- Shout Out Saturday – share your favourites
- A hop, skip and a jump into July!
- If 2020 was a food, what would it be?
- The wind beneath my tyres – a change of gears!
- Good morning from the beach – Wordless Wednesday
- Are you a Xanthophile?
- What good things have happened this year?
- Making a fairytale photo – Wordless Wednesday
- Variations on a Theme – a family photo challenge
- When crossing borders within Australia is a big deal
- The Blue Villa – Wordless Wednesday
- Once you have tasted the taste of sky, you will forever look up – Leonardo da Vinci
- Some therapy for your Wordless Wednesday
- Taking Stock – some thoughts on life
- Why would a blogger make a post private?
- Not much jumping from me in June!
- There is freedom within, there is freedom without 🎶
- Making a book versus writing a book – is there a difference?
- I bet you can’t look at this photo without smiling – Wordless Wednesday
- Watching the sunrise at Uluru is amazing!
- ‘They already knew what I was thinking and feeling; they were me’ – Melanie’s story | Bliss
- Drinking in some sparkling water on Wordless Wednesday
- 10 Ordinary Objects
- Hanging around on Wordless Wednesday
- Shout-out Saturday is back in 2021
- Night lights for #SundayStills
- A perfectly uplifting Sunday
- A retrospective taking stock for #SundayStills
- Reading my way through 2020
- The wisdom of trees for Wordless Wednesday
- A look back at my world of blogging during 2020
- Remembering December 2020
- 60 years old and feeling BOLD! Sharing my WOTY for 2021
- What was the best decision you made in 2020?
- From my World to yours….
- Ready to jump ship – a year of jumping comes to an end!
- Happy Beddian Birthday to those of us born in 1960!
- Wordy Wednesday – It’s all about Ruby
- Shout Out Saturday #18 – An up and down week
- Wordy Wednesday – Furious Fiction
- Finding my MOJO in November – Jumping on board
- The texture of a tree for #SundayStills
- Shout Out Saturday #17 – Writing it all down
- Colour in the sky – Wordless Wednesday
- Taking Stock – a look at life today
- What are you thankful for in 2020? #SundayStills
- Shout Out Saturday #16 – Celebrating Premature babies, Flowers and Art
- Friday Fiction – what’s been read lately?
- A bridge to history – Wordless Wednesday
- Shout Out Saturday #15 – Memories
- Debbie On Turning 60 – Reflections on Riding the Waves of Life – Women Living Well After 50
- Wordy Wednesday – Blogging Friends
- How have you weathered the years? #SundayStills
- Shout Out Saturday #14 – keeping it real
- A one sided conversation – Wordless Wednesday
- Jump starting my way through October
- On the Spring Flower Festival Trail in Tumbarumba
- Shout Out Saturday #13 – keeping it local
- Walk for Prems 2020, or in my case, Ride for Prems. Be kind and generous – always!
- It takes all kinds – Wordless Wednesday
- Shout Out Saturday #12 – Keeping it in the family
- Morning sunshine and a cute cottage garden – Wordless Wednesday
- Where’s your happy place?
- Shout Out Saturday #11 – Be Kind
- Kind of mesmerising – Wordless Wednesday
- I have never….
- Painting faces with Ochre for #SundayStills
- Shout Out Saturday#10 – the Deborra-Lee Furness and Hugh Jackman edition!
- If you could rule the world for a day, what would you change?
- Light at the end of the tunnel? – Wordless Wednesday
- Not every paradise is tropical – a dry run!
- Shout Out Saturday#9 – self care and sharing
- Finding different ways of jumping through September due to a dodgy knee
- Where the bush meets the beach – Wordless Wednesday
- Before you give up, think about why you held on so long
- Shout Out Saturday#8 – who deserves a shout out??
- Sweetness and light – Wordless Wednesday
- Towering all over the world
- Proving that you’re never too old to learn something new
- Shout Out Saturday#7 – who gets your shout out today??
- A Flourishing Season – a family photo challenge
- Where were you during the Sydney Olympics in 2000?
- Shout Out Saturday#6 – Would you like to give someone a shout out??
- An update on my list of 12 things to do before turning 60
- Taking Stock – life at the moment
- Shout Out Saturday#5 – Do you have something to share??
- Good morning, farewell winter – Wordless Wednesday
- Jumping in and out of August
- Oops, I did it again! Sharing snaps for #lifethisweek
- Shout Out Saturday#4 – Care to share?
- A snow day on the Tumbarumba to Rosewood Rail Trail – Wordless Wednesday
- Composition – a family photo challenge
- What’s the view like from your window?
- Shout Out Saturday#3 – what are you sharing?
- Hip hip hooray, it’s Dottie’s first birthday!
- What do I really really want?
- Shout Out Saturday#2 – sharing is caring
- Friday Fiction – Books and movies are great company
- What a difference a week makes – Wordless Wednesday
- The awe-inspiring Glass House Mountains
- Shout Out Saturday – share your favourites
- A hop, skip and a jump into July!
- If 2020 was a food, what would it be?
- The wind beneath my tyres – a change of gears!
- Good morning from the beach – Wordless Wednesday
- Are you a Xanthophile?
- What good things have happened this year?
- Making a fairytale photo – Wordless Wednesday
- Variations on a Theme – a family photo challenge
- When crossing borders within Australia is a big deal
- The Blue Villa – Wordless Wednesday
- Once you have tasted the taste of sky, you will forever look up – Leonardo da Vinci
- Some therapy for your Wordless Wednesday
- Taking Stock – some thoughts on life
- Why would a blogger make a post private?
- Not much jumping from me in June!
- There is freedom within, there is freedom without 🎶
- Making a book versus writing a book – is there a difference?
- I bet you can’t look at this photo without smiling – Wordless Wednesday
- Watching the sunrise at Uluru is amazing!
- ‘They already knew what I was thinking and feeling; they were me’ – Melanie’s story | Bliss
- Drinking in some sparkling water on Wordless Wednesday
- 10 Ordinary Objects
- Hanging around on Wordless Wednesday
Are you on Instagram? Check out Deb’s World here: Instagram for photo updates
You can also find Deb’s World here – let’s stay in touch!
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