Uncharted Rhythm

Honest reflections on unexpected exits, planned retirements, and finding your new rhythm.

  • The Day the Safety Net Vanished (Part 2): Facing the Dining Room Spreadsheet

    The Day the Safety Net Vanished (Part 2): Facing the Dining Room Spreadsheet

    Welcome back to Uncharted Rhythm. Last week, I pulled back the curtain on the 45‑day twilight zone — the mask, the diplomacy, and the unexpected validation from my team. But professional support doesn’t pay the bills. The real world was waiting at home. It was time to sit at that beautiful new dining room table,…

  • The Day the Safety Net Vanished (Part 1): Maintaining the Façade

    The Day the Safety Net Vanished (Part 1): Maintaining the Façade

    To understand the retirement déjà vu I’m feeling today, we have to go back to another mild spring day. I sat at my desk, staring blankly at a stack of paperwork. Just an hour earlier, I had been called into a meeting and told my time as director was coming to an end. Because local…

  • Into the Deep

    Into the Deep

    Before I share the heavier stories that shaped this blog, I want to begin with something simple — a moment from childhood that has stayed with me for decades. It’s a story about enthusiasm, risk, and leaping before you fully understand the water beneath you. In many ways, it mirrors how I’m approaching this new…

  • Shock and Awe

    Shock and Awe

    The Unexpected Mirror: Forced Job Loss vs. Planned Retirement The shock hit before the words fully landed. I was meeting with my boss and told I needed to find a new job.  What? Did I just hear what I thought I heard.  This can’t be right, can it?  I heard the words but they were…

Author Introduction

I’m Lance — a neophyte blogger exploring the emotional, financial, and social terrain of life’s transitions. After nearly 50 years of full‑time work across multiple sectors, I created Uncharted Rhythm as a way to stay curious, keep learning, and make sense of the moments that reshape us — whether they arrive by choice or by surprise. I write honestly, learn as I go, and hope these reflections offer grounding, perspective, and a sense of companionship along your own path.

If you’d like to know more about my story, you’ll find it on the About Me page.