Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The deeper question, I think, is whether our main aim is personal satisfaction, or some higher "purpose". The latter might be religious, or it might be publishing scientific papers of archival quality, writing music, making a sculpture that would be studied by art-historians for centuries, or perhaps contributing to the public welfare by say volunteering with disadvantaged youth. And then there's the meta-question, I suppose, as to whether this higher purpose is not itself a means to an end, the means perhaps being noble and laudable, but the end being just... personal satisfaction.
I do not understand why you list very lofty and very high level activities when only about .0000001 percent or almost zero number of people or so very few in the world can write music, make a sculpture which is so exceptional that it is art historian art museum quality, and write scientific papers. Writing scientific papers is something done by a very select segment of society.
Why not list much less lofty achievements which more people can achieve and not just a tiny few?
Last edited by matisse12; 02-08-2018 at 03:41 PM..
My DH and I plan to travel, A LOT! We like to travel now, but it's limited with work and kids. We have a list of places we definitely would like to visit and I think (God willing) we will visit all of them!
I do not understand why you list very lofty and very high level activities when only about .0000001 percent or almost zero number of people or so very few in the world can write music, make a sculpture which is so exceptional that it is art historian art museum quality, and write scientific papers. Writing scientific papers is something done by a very select segment of society.
Why not list much less lofty achievements which more people can achieve and not just a tiny few?
Odds are good that if someone achieved this level in a field, they'd been doing it for years and most likely doing it for a job, not a hobby.
A friend who has written all his life for a living told me he gets exasperated when people say they "want to write" in retirement, and he says, "I might as well say I want to do brain surgery in retirement."
Maybe someone on this forum will cure cancer in retirement, however, I am quite sure it will not be me.
Differing opinions about what retirement is should be expected. I know people who worked themselves to the bone, retired, and were dead in less than six months. Too many to be comfortable with. It's like they just stopped because the reason they lived was gone. Lousy way to become a widow.
I mention here on occasion that I used to get paid to play with other peoples toys. True, but it was often very stressful. Since most of my clients were small businesses I had to be on top of things every day. The longer it took to fix things the more money it cost them.
So when I had to retire I decided to just stop for awhile, catch my breath and figure out what was next. I had no intentions of saving the world or discovering some amazing new thing. As far as I was concerned I had already saved many small businesses from a lot of grief and lost money.
Time for a change. So I goofed off for about six months, let myself unwind, then started traveling with my wife. Her job required her to travel to two different cities and I loved driving her so she didn't have to. One was 6 1/2 hours away and keeping her from the stress of the drive then going to work was a good thing.
Now that she's retired we stay busy with friends and we have each other to entertain, and we're good at it. We find ways to make each other laugh all the time. I can be a goofball and if it gets her laughing I'll be a bigger one.
I gotta ask - why is sitting in the Lazy Boy and watching TV given such a bad rap?
What if I said I was sitting in the Lazy Boy reading? Still just sitting right?
Well, if you are sitting and watching TV, your body AND your mind are essentially idle
If you are reading something good, your mind, at least, is active.
When the 2nd gen Star Trek first came out, damn, I did like to watch it. I made a deal with myself - I would watch it, but, only while pedaling a stationary bike.
I do not understand why you list very lofty and very high level activities when only about .0000001 percent or so very few and such a select group in the world can write music, make a sculpture which is so exceptional that it is art historian art museum quality, and write scientific papers. Writing scientific papers is something done by a very select segment of society.
Why not list much less lofty achievements which more people can achieve and not just a tiny few?
Quote:
Originally Posted by brightdoglover
Odds are good that if someone achieved this level in a field, they'd been doing it for years and most likely doing it for a job, not a hobby.
A friend who has written all his life for a living told me he gets exasperated when people say they "want to write" in retirement, and he says, "I might as well say I want to do brain surgery in retirement."
Maybe someone on this forum will cure cancer in retirement, however, I am quite sure it will not be me.
You seem to be talking just about writing scientific papers/articles, and you're not referring to the ability to write music and the ability to make a sculpture of art historian art museum or antiquity quality - examples which ohio_peasant used.
My point is that very very few people in the world can make a sculpture of art museum or antiquity quality, and a very select group of people have an ability to write music.
I share your friend's opinion about 'I want to write in retirement' being close to saying 'I want to do brain surgery in retirement'!
I can see why people get aggravated and take a long break on forums on the internet.
Last edited by matisse12; 02-08-2018 at 07:33 PM..
You seem to be talking just about writing scientific papers/articles, and you're not referring to the ability to write music and the ability to make a sculpture of art historian art museum or antiquity quality - examples which ohio_peasant used.
My point is that very very few people in the world can make a sculpture of art museum or antiquity quality, and a very select group of people have an ability to write music.
I share your friend's opinion about 'I want to write in retirement' being close to saying 'I want to do brain surgery in retirement'!
I can see why people get aggravated and take a long break on forums on the internet.
I know lots and lots of people whose accomplishments in retirement are of a very high level. In fact that is one of the reasons I take courses in an OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning) program with 100s of other retirees. Some just attend, but many are remarkable. I can give plenty of examples but will only mention a few of a personal nature.
My wife is one of those individuals who wanted to "write in retirement". She has been taking OLLI courses in writing for years. She is a recent published poet. Now she is working on writing and illustrating children's books. She has several in progress. I will not reveal the topics because they are astounding and as soon as people read the drafts they wonder why there are no children's books on the topic. I think she will find a publisher and open a flood gate. We shall see.
I have some interests that are succeeding. Upon retirement, actually a bit sooner, I started to learn photography. I have already expended way over 10,000 hours in shooting, in reading books and taking online courses and I have taken 12 semester long courses. Now my work is getting some recognition. I have been accepted by dozens of juried shows and galleries. I had one piece purchased by a museum. Now I also do some teaching. My interest is not the technical aspects of photography. Since I started with no artistic training or skill, I have concentrated on the language of visual communication and expression. I was thinking of writing a book, but instead last year I started learning to paint. After all the visual language is the same whether it is photography or painting.
I also have another interest, archery. I am not sure where that is going since I have muscle weakness due to age, statins and an autoimmune disease. Even with those limitations, I win most local competitions, but I will never make it at a high, national level. I am continuing because I am interested in the mental aspects of archery and other sports. I have been studying and implementing sports psychology techniques that have been developed and hidden through Olympic training programs. I am fascinated by the interplay of subconscious and conscious control and the power of mind of matter. High level athletes learn to routinely do what is all but impossible.
I do not want to sound like I am bragging. In fact my accomplishments in retirement do not put me in the top, what was it, 0.00001%. I have a great many retired friends who are as accomplished and more accomplished than me. My point is very simple and I have tried many times on this forum to communicate it. We all have choices. We can take life easy or we can strive to learn, to grow, and to achieve new goals. Maybe our accomplishments will not achieve some sort of lasting recognition, but they can be intensely satisfying. In addition, I think we old timers can set examples that just might help to inspire our children, grandchildren, friends and acquaintances. I know I have had friends and relatives who have greatly inspired me.
I retired in 2013, and still live in the same upper middle class suburb of Dallas. Every retiree I know is fairly active. I formed and lead a weekday (Mo, Tu, Th) golf league with 28 active members. I also do woodworking and wildlife photography. My wife and I take four outdoor vacations a year.
Almost all my golf buddies have other interests. Bill heads a foundation which funds geology scholarships. Dane skies and hikes often at Steamboat Springs, where he owns a condo. Jerry, a Vietnam War combat veteran, spends a lot of time at VA hospitals. Bob is a 70 year old 10K runner.
A retired couple in my neighborhood spends a lot of time gardening.
There may be many retirees in North Texas who sit at home and do nothing. I wouldn’t know if there are. My circle of retiree friends is limited to active retirees by choice.
I try to have goals for the week/day so I don't fritter my time away, but leave lots of down time.
As long as both of us are happy, that's good enough.
__________________ ____________________________________________
My posts as a Mod will always be in red.
Be sure to review Terms of Service: TOS
And check this out: FAQ
Moderator: Relationships Forum / Hawaii Forum / Dogs / Pets / Current Events
My plans went totally a wry when a woman ran a red light & crashed my car into a steel barrier.
I'd always been active but now, even after back surgery, it hurts to walk.
My life & plans have changed drastically.
I read a lot but then again, I always have. I'm planning on taking courses at the local college. I have a lot of interests, mainly art, writing but want to learn Spanish because I' m in a Spanish speaking community.
Learning to deal with a disability after being active all my life has been difficult but doable.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
