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Interesting that there is a recently revived but currently active thread in the Retirement Forum entitled "Are your best days ahead of you or behind you?". It is very similar to this one. I just posted there that at age 71, my grand adventures are behind me (hitch-hiking through Europe, bicycling from Seattle to Los Angeles, flying private airplanes, escorting funeral processions on a motorcycle) but the days ahead do not look bleak, just tamer.
Today I look forward eagerly to the enthusiasm of the third through eighth grade students in the chess classes I am teaching in an enrichment summer school. If there are still things to look forward to eagerly, then life if good.
For the first time in my life, I am free to do exactly what *I* want to do. No parents, kids, or husbands. I plan to enjoy every minute and live every day to the max.
Whoa. Did you wake up too early and have too many cups of coffee? Maybe you could make your point with fewer bad and trite analogies.
When I retired, I had no feeling that my life was nearing the end. Instead I felt I had all new opportunities. I no longer had to spend most of my time working for a living. I started to travel, learn photography and pursue other interests. I have taken a lot of courses mostly in the arts and in areas completely different than my former technical career.
If you are approaching retirement, I suggest you start planning for your future. Think about what you want to learn and what you want to do and accomplish when you have more time free of the necessity of working.
Retirement is like graduation. You went to high-school, college, graduate school, or a similar path to get a career. That career was only the means to gather financial assets to glide to the path of retirement.
So, when you think of it, it is a journey, and you are just beginning.
Indeed. It's like we've been working our whole lives to get to this place.
Finally.
Throw in the towel? Are you kidding? I'm having the time of my life.
You might find yourself not QUITE as capable as you age... so time to ACCEPT cooling the jets (if need be).
I find I need to be a bit more cautious. My Grandpa fell off the tractor at age 92, when he was doing a crazy dangerous repair, so I don't want to go that route!
I do less roofing these days (no healthcare or life insurance)
But I am often on the roof / in trees with chain saws / ride not so tame horses / and very QUICKLY riding my 45 yr old racing motorcycles. Just all a bit less crazy...
I don't need to prove anything to anyone or myself... I am quite capable of checking out on my own. (no assistance needed or required)
I like to take a nap during mid-day and contemplate 'adventure'. (safer than getting crazy actually doing it)
I'm like your grandpa... although I didn't do my roof = 10:12 pitch. I'm building a Cobra kit car and will eventually put it on the track (former SCCA National Licence holder). Avid offshore boater who's goes out mostly alone but I'm a bit more aware of the latent dangers. No proving necessary.
My boys (3) are good with their ole man doing what I do, but the wifey and daughter are a bit more, shall I say... mommy-ish.
Our focus changes with different periods of our life from 'get into college' to get a degree' to 'get a job' to 'make money and raise a family'. All those phases have been fun (some more than others) but I was never really free to just do what I want. I am now entering a period when I will be free to do more of what I want whether it is travel, being with grandchildren, enjoying hobbies --- whatever. It isn't really about slowing down or speeding up
They don't whine or complain that they can't walk, can't drive, etc. Feisty attitudes!
Hmmm, I can relate! Had both knees replaced at age 65, 8 weeks apart. Went on to build a house within a year. Working on the second one now. Wasn't ready to say, "Oh, I can't walk...".
Retirement is like graduation. You went to high-school, college, graduate school, or a similar path to get a career. That career was only the means to gather financial assets to glide to the path of retirement.
So, when you think of it, it is a journey, and you are just beginning.
If so, then I've got junior year coming up with a bad case of senioritis after that, then I graduate to a permanent decent paying job where I can do what I want to do instead of doing what others tell me to do.
exactly, trite is not the word to use here in this thread. I think someone had a case of the MONDAYS haha.
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