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Lazarus....you say you're struggling with retirement?
Do you honestly have nothing that you'd rather do than work? Or have you never really thought about it much, and just 'presume' you have nothing to do.
NO interest in ANYthing? You say you have no hobbies. OK.
My question was do you have an interest in anything. That's not the same as not having a hobby.
You mentioned relatives in Wisconsin. You mention the hassle of winters there. But technically you never said you don't want to live there. Why can't you visit? NO friends to visit? No places to visit? No trips you've ever wanted to take?
I just have never been able to believe that people have NOTHING better to do than work.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lazarus long
I am an engineer who 'retired' young, and I admit I am struggling with it.
... Seems like I wish more and more that I had done something else.
I would like to be near the family, except that they are in Wisconsin, ....
as an engineer myself... I would choose to retire in one of the great cities near national labs (Check with LauraC on Oakridge, TN) I have frequented Los Alamos, Las Cruces, Boulder, Idaho Falls, and Richland, WA. All have great retirement communities and activities which many engineers!
Nice WI living on this list. WI has lots of engineers / recreation / access to edu. (I did a masters program AFTER I retired) Will be doing more as I age / gain interests / need EDU. Senior Cooperative Foundation
You can teach, or volunteer in a variety of ways that would benefit from your background.
I love to fly, so I do overseas volunteering, and the Vocational Tech school I am at in the Philippines has a computer tech program and it needs some help (as do thousands of other places.)
I very much dislike and do not trust TSA, but in the USA it is the 20 min 'price-of-admission' (and quite worthless at it's task)
My wish list includes to re-master the piano and learn a few languages. Maybe pick up a few more instruments. My escape is a workshop where I build furniture and toys, and I do machining / welding and farm work for self and neighbors. I work for farmers during harvest. I find that fun. But I travel a lot (been gone for 8 months at the moment) Usually gone 1/2 my time. I travel as cheap as staying home and I work for food and fuel while traveling. (but mostly to learn / grow relationships).
Last edited by StealthRabbit; 10-30-2014 at 07:14 PM..
Wanting to work and needing to work are two different issues.
I retired at age 62. At age 64 I got a little bored. Found a part time job in the technology section of a major office super store as a computer repair tech. Was a fun job and the hours (3, six hour days) fit my golf schedule. I did this for a few years until they changed their procedures and were no longer repairing computers. They wanted me to work the sales floor. I said thanks but no thanks and I re-retired at age 67.
Working when you want to is fun. Working when you have to can be a drag and is tougher as you get older.
Lazarus....you say you're struggling with retirement?
Do you honestly have nothing that you'd rather do than work? Or have you never really thought about it much, and just 'presume' you have nothing to do.
NO interest in ANYthing? You say you have no hobbies. OK.
My question was do you have an interest in anything. That's not the same as not having a hobby.
You mentioned relatives in Wisconsin. You mention the hassle of winters there. But technically you never said you don't want to live there. Why can't you visit? NO friends to visit? No places to visit? No trips you've ever wanted to take?
I just have never been able to believe that people have NOTHING better to do than work.
Like you, I always had plenty of interests and hobbies going back way before I retired, in fact going back to my college years. But why the sneering attitude toward those who are different from you and me? Lots of people struggle in retirement because they are at loose ends and have nothing engaging to do. That is just the reality for them, and going back to work is easier and more attractive to them than finding/creating new interests. In a sense I don't get it either, but still I have to take issue with your final sentence which I bolded, because it contains an assumption that I don't agree with, namely that work is bad and disagreeable. Work can be a good thing - interesting, challenging, gratifying, a place for positive social interaction and friendships which transcend the workplace.
Retired for 7 years and 7 months and the time is flying by. No desire to work after retirement. Just the thought of being on a schedule and getting dressed for work every morning is unappealing. We had the temperature dip around freezing already this year and I thought, thank God I don't have to go out when it's dark in the morning and scrape the windshield, anymore. The only time I have been bored was when I was housebound due to a health issue for 2 months.
I have noticed in retirement I rely on my calendar, a lot, to write down appointments, meetings, activities because they (dates, times and locations) are erratic compared to when I was working and on a schedule for 40 hours of a week. You know, it's no longer every X day, I'm at blank at Y time of the day so now I have to write everything down and check what I have going on every week because I won't remember if I don't.
In the four and a half years I've been reading and posting in this Retirement Forum, that takes the cake! That has got to be the extreme end of the spectrum for those who want "structure" in retirement. And I am one who argues that a total lack of structure is a problem for many people. But gee whiz, a monthly plan of accomplishments with a letter grade for failure to measure up seems absurd to the point where I wonder if you're serious.
When I was in my 20s (1970s), I worked with an older woman who was married to a retired engineer of some type. She said he created spreadsheets and inventoried everything in their house and garage, including the food and even the gasoline in the car. Every day, he would adjust his spreadsheets based on what they bought or consumed/used the previous day. When he wasn't doing that he would re-arrange everything alphabetically (food), by color (clothes) or by size (everything else). She said he made her nuts but she also said he was a workaholic before he retired and didn't have time to do those kind of things at home when he was working. She said she'd retire when he died.
When I was in my 20s (1970s), I worked with an older woman who was married to a retired engineer of some type. She said he created spreadsheets and inventoried everything in their house and garage, including the food and even the gasoline in the car. Every day, he would adjust his spreadsheets based on what they bought or consumed/used the previous day. When he wasn't doing that he would re-arrange everything alphabetically (food), by color (clothes) or by size (everything else). She said he made her nuts but she also said he was a workaholic before he retired and didn't have time to do those kind of things at home when he was working. She said she'd retire when he died.
He was seriously OCD! I like organisation, but that's ridiculous.
I am retired. I have done a small amount of volunteer work, but basically I am retired and staying that way.
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(and quite worthless at it's task)
