At least I have my dog; at least we all have each other; at least it wasn’t a complete loss; at least I have my health…. Is it because of the base-line of life’s fortunes that we may maintain our sanity and allow for hope to thrive? And if we were to ever lose the “at least” — is that when life becomes too unbearable to withstand, or will we simply find another replacement “at least”?
Take the following hypothetical: A tornado or other natural disaster destroys a home; everything is lost; the person who survived stands with his or her dog and says to the reporter, “At least I survived”. The next moment, the survivor suffers a heart attack and is bedridden for the rest of his remaining days. Once the “at least” was taken away, was there a replacement? Is the final “at least” the one which goes thus: “At least I am still alive”? And when that is taken away and silence follows, is that the answer to the question: Is there anything beyond the last “at least”?
For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who suffer from a medical condition such that the medical condition prevents the Federal or Postal employee from performing one or more of the essential elements of one’s job, the question of “at least” is an important one. For, when the medical condition strikes, the “at least” question is not: “At least I still have my health”, but might rather be, “At least I still have my job”.
It is the latter concern — when the medical condition begins to impact one’s ability and capacity to perform all of the essential elements of one’s job — that may lead to consideration in filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits, ultimately leading to the further “at least” declaration: “At least I have my Federal Disability Retirement annuity.”
Sincerely,
Robert R. McGill, Esquire
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OPM Disability Retirement for Federal & Postal Employees: Identity
“One day I woke up and looked in the mirror, and realized that I was no longer the person who I thought I was.”
Is this a line from a novel? Or, perhaps a thought which so many people have considered? Or even a universal realization which comes as no surprise to anyone. Who am I? Who are you?
Do such queries become satisfied by taking out one’s driver’s license and declaring, “Here. This satisfies the question. This proves it!” Yet, somehow, we all know that it doesn’t.
People who search for their family “tree”; the uptick of businesses which match one’s DNA to various geographical markers; the rummaging through old photo albums, cellar chests and basement hideaways which might reveal something more than the rat race of paying bills — we all seek relevance in a universe which considers identity to be besides the point. And when an event further diminishes one’s identity, what then?
For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers whose identity has been inextricably tied to one’s job, position, career, etc., within the Federal government or Postal Service, filing for FERS Disability Retirement may be a traumatic but necessary next step. It is always difficult to part ways from one’s identity as a competent working-X; but it may be necessary, precisely because the medical condition no longer allows you to remain attached to that identity.
Contact an OPM Attorney who specializes in Federal Disability Retirement Law, and consider the future and what identifiable identity you wish to pursue in the years to come.
Sincerely,
Robert R. McGill, Esquire
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