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This thread pops up once in a while - the title of the thread irritates me - so silly that anyone would feel guilty about retiring early and years of hard work - nutty notion.
I'm not saying those of us with pensions didn't work for them.
But many people were never given the option of having a pension. Those are the ones from whom I sense pension envy, and I think they have a good point. "Equal" opportunity is a wonderful idea, but we're not there yet. We need to work to get closer to it for *everyone* - not just the few who have had and embraced the opportunity to make good.
And if pensions were secret, then we wouldn't all see the politicians with their fat pensions, who are making choices to lessen the possibility of pensions for the rest of us. So I think secret pensions should not be allowed to exist.
Many of us have taken very low salaries for many, many years and provided public service - struggling to keep up - while private sector equivalent jobs were paid alot more for many, many years. Now that we're promised a pension, the private sector is pouting.
Pout Away, I say. If you spent more than you were making -and didn't save? That's not my fault.
Politicians are another lot.... they didn't put in the 30 years to get the pension.
Despite the current thinking among some that everything should be "equal", in life we are not always given equal opportunities. Nor does every single person put forth the same effort and sacrifice. This is just part of life - a normal part of life - life isn't equal, life isn't always fair and individual effort can overcome almost anything.
Oddstay, it is your belief that retirement pay should be more "equal" for everyone. It is my belief that if this is true, the work will need to be equal too. My husband has a large a lovely pension with lifetime medical and dental and if others are willing to be shot at, stabbed, hit by a car, have to chase armed suspects, spit on, cursed at, accompany fire trucks on their police motorcycles while the fire trucks are getting shot at (L.A. Riots), work horrific parts of town that most wouldn't set foot in and go years without pay raises, well then maybe they can have a large and lovely pension too.
Well oddstay, in your belief that retirement pay should be more "equal" for everyone, then it is my belief that the work will need to be equal too. My husband has a large a lovely pension with lifetime medical and dental and if others are willing to be shot at, stabbed, hit with a car, spit on, cursed at, accompany fire trucks on their police motorcycles while the fire trucks are getting shot at (L.A. Riots), work horrific parts of town that most wouldn't set foot in and go years without pay raises, well then maybe they would can have a large and lovely pension too.
After working narcotics in law enforcement I quite agree. Treating everyone equally is a lovely (socialist) ideal but it only works if they shared the load equally, including the risk.
Retired at 41, that was 23 years ago. No, zero, nada guilt. Planned well, saved, invested well and lived responsibly and conservatively. Doing just fine now. Never missed work, not even a little bit. Have traveled over 12 of the past 23 retired years. Life is good.
To the OP: No reason to feel guilty. ACtually, I feel sorry for you. My brother retired at 55, and he's done almost nothing for the last 10 years, except fish, golf, etc. My neighbor just came over the other day, complaining about being bored with retirement, and he's only been retired a short while. My wife and I have jobs we enjoy and are not interested in giving up right now. Retirement would be one of the worst things that could happen to me right now.
Your being retired is no excuse for envious or nosy people to behave rudely toward you. We wouldn't feel compelled to answer people who ask how much we weigh or how old we are or whether we have considered plastic surgery to get rid of this or that flaw, which are in the same category as "what do you DO all day?"
Your being retired is no excuse for envious or nosy people to behave rudely toward you. We wouldn't feel compelled to answer people who ask how much we weigh or how old we are or whether we have considered plastic surgery to get rid of this or that flaw, which are in the same category as "what do you DO all day?"
When someone asks me what I do I'm proud to answer. I sure wouldn't be proud to tell the preson I did nothing.
When I first joined this forum just recently and mentioned that I retired at age 49 and was collecting 4 U.S. Government pensions, some members on this forum jumped in my business without comprehending and or understanding the facts first and expressed that it was ludicrous of me receiving 4 pensions! They just didn't understand that my pensions and benefits were all earned entitlements I earnestly earned in my 30 yrs of service in the military and Civil Service and none were freebies taking away money from tax payers, because I too pay my fair share of taxes like everyone else in the U.S. even though we live overseas!
That's the flaw of people who are nosy and rude, let alone envious of others fortunate situation in life that one earned in earnest!
I too when someone asks me what I do, I'm proud to answer! I too wouldn't be proud to tell the person I did nothing, now that would be ludicrous!
lu·di·crous/ˈlo͞odəkrəs/
Adjective: So foolish, unreasonable, or out of place as to be amusing. Not just amusing, but rude in my book!
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After working narcotics in law enforcement I quite agree. Treating everyone equally is a lovely (socialist) ideal but it only works if they shared the load equally, including the risk.
Anyone feel guilty about retiring very young?
