Yes, I did realize that my rating doesn't bind me to not working and I'm taking that into consideration.
It's nice to be in the situation I'm in. I need to find something that I like to do and provides my life with meaning and I have the caveat of not having to do anything solely because I need the money.
In the short term I'm going to take some time off (they are working on retiring me from my federal government job under FERS disability. Given that I was awarded VA disability, FERS is pretty much a shoo-in for me) and work on myself for a bit. The doctors at the VA already have a couple of other therapies / groups they want me to attend every week.
This being disabled thing is no joke. It's a full-time job in itself just trying to manage my symptoms.
I agree, it would be a mistake for me to just give up and retire for good. At least for me, a lot of my identity has been what sorts of jobs I've held. I was proud of being an Infantry Officer and I was proud of being a chemist for the federal government. I felt like I made a difference and I hoped that I contributed somehow to our society.
I've always been kind of drawn to woodworking and furniture building. I would love to do something artistic and something with my hands. I really enjoy those sorts of things. Hell, as long as I break even, I don't even have to worry about turning a profit if I start my own business.
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