Retirement Celebrations?

So I recently retired (disability non line of duty) after 24ish years with the state agency. I had a good career, stayed out of trouble for the most part, made rank (up to an admin level), and enjoyed all but the last year or so of my career.

The top command staff mostly went to shit after several leadership changes. The new “brass” is /was a narcist with very little concern or compassion for their subordinates, ass-kissing their higher-ups, Incompetent, cliquish, and full of empty promises to name a few problems.

My retirement celebration was looped in with an annual holiday celebration party. I was on leave and my retirement already finalized, but was “invited” to the party about two days before it was to take place and told that “they” wanted to acknowledge me and my years of service at the event.

My retirement celebration, after 24 years of service, consisted of a lunch at an all-you-can-eat chain buffet where my Captain (someone I field trained when they were a brand new officer) spoke about me for roughly 30 seconds and handed me a memento of recognition…equivalent to a screen printed t-shirt! The officers I worked with were there, but not really for me, they were there to eat, hahaha.

It’s one of those things that I had expected because of the downward decline in terms of morale, but I’d been better off to just stay home and skip the “luncheon.” I stewed about it a day or so but all in all, I’m so thankful to be out of the shit and finally able to relax without worrying about a phone or email going off with some bullshit! I wouldn’t do it over again despite all of the great times, friends, opportunities, and experiences I had on the job.