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I do whatever is right in front of me. I'm scrubbing wood floors these days, on my hands and knees. Feels great.
Strange. Now that I have been retired for a few years, I am pushed for time to do all the things I want to do. For the first time in our lives, we now pay a cleaning lady to come in for cleaning and changing the sheets on the bed.
I seem to be more busy now after retiring.I took on a few projects like staining all my kitchen cupboards,staircase,painting inside our house,staining all our wooden furniture,lots of gardening,little woodwork projects,writing poems,lots of reading,outdoor activities,volunteering in a senior home a few hours a week and volunteering for another charity.I love cooking and baking and around Christmas time I bake up a storm sending cookies to family,friends and local places.Life is good
I wish I had time to be bored. Since I retired two and a half years ago I find I have way less free time than I ever did while still working. I simply don't have time to do everything I want or need to do. In this day and age, there are so many activities available, that there is no reason anyone should ever be bored.
I have quite a few friends that are retired and every single one, says that they are MUCH, MUCH busier than when they were working.
Regarding people who die shortly after they retire, it has been my experience that people who do that , especially people who own their businesses such as farmers, usually only retired because they already were in poor health.
I'll give an example, my father "retired" as a full time dairy farmer/ part time logger when he was about 72. But he then started logging full time, but to him it was more of a way to be in the forest and enjoying nature full time, while still being productive. He passed away, with his boots on literally, just before he turned 80 on the family farm. It was the way he always wanted to go.
I find it's exciting to pick and choose one's activities to live a stimulating--and relaxing life--at the same time.
When to say "yes" to volunteer work and activities and when to say "no."
I need down time to write. I need girlfriend time to bond and laugh.
I need DH time to be in love and have romance and shared adventures.
My home needs me, my kitchen calls my name, my garden (such as it is!) loves attention.
And keep "me" time, too-- time for yoga, bike rides, walks through the woods. Reading, always reading.
It's a balancing act, isn't it?
The other morning, I awoke to a steady rain, had no meetings or appointments or commitments to rouse me out of bed on this particular morning, so, I lay there, listening to the rain, feeling perfectly at peace and content. Sweet. It's a good retirement...
I'll give an example, my father "retired" as a full time dairy farmer/ part time logger when he was about 72. But he then started logging full time, but to him it was more of a way to be in the forest and enjoying nature full time, while still being productive. He passed away, with his boots on literally, just before he turned 80 on the family farm. It was the way he always wanted to go.
Yeah, my pops dropped dead in his favorite chair of a massive coronary after being out shoveling heavy, wet snow and not letting the neighbors help. My old man would have none of that, his last words on earth apparently were (in response to the neighbor telling him to get the hell inside): "What am I, an invalid?"
While sad, of course, if you knew my old man you'd understand why to this day I respectfully chuckle: he died as he lived, and wouldn't have it any other way. It was dignified, after a fashion.
So he told me after the first year or so of retirement (at 60) he found so much to do there wasn't time for it all. Those activities were:
1. Men's club of his home town. A senior society with interesting non old fuddy-duddy activities.
a. Elk's Club, too, see previous.
2. Usher at the Fisher Theater in Detroit.
a. Head usher at his local Catholic diocese.
3. Limo driver, somehow he got away with not being licensed (certain kinds of fares don't require it).
a. also transported remains for a funeral home, which while macabre was definitely "quiet driving companions," as he phrased it
4. Camping, mostly via tent.
5. Driving all over the US and Canada, big traveler in the CONUS was my dad (never went back to Europe after he retired "there's plenty to see in the U.S. and Canada, sonny boy!" He had a point, after a fashion, as I too have been to some far-flung corners of B.C. in Canada, Ontario, and more.
See if your local government hires seasonal or part time workers. You have skills that they could use -- at least you have a clock and can get there when needed. Don't do it for the money just social contacts and to stay busy and productive.
When one spouse is retired and the other isn't, I have seen less than desirable outcomes. You are probably better off continuing working until your spouse can also retire.
That isn't always true but it is a big deal. I know that my wife who is not retired yet is itching to do so. She is welcome to do that anytime now that we no longer have a mortgage.
I had to retire so we had no choice in the matter. Oh I am sure I could find employment but really I do not need it for income.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TuborgP
Bada Bing! I have a neighbor going back to work for that reason
I am pretty sure I will never go back to work again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by foundapeanut
Why wait for the global travel? The older you get the harder it is to travel. I've travel globally often, still do.
Not retired but we own our own business and can afford competent staff so that doesn't hold us back.
But hubs (69) is starting to feel exhausted after running in and out of airports and countries. Yes, cruise ships are great for this situation but oceans and rivers aren't always where you want to be. And I'm not a fan of more than one sea day at a time.
Something to think about, you can always play golf and work on your house when you can no longer travel.
I've seen too many people plan traveling and something happens and they never make it.
Well foundapeanut for one I am not old yet. I am only 59 and my wife will be 59 next year. We are putting plans in place to travel a lot. Seeing as though we have no mortgage our plan is to sell this house and bank the entire amount. It will become our LTCi as we do not need it for income purposes. We will sell the cars and cancel all insurance policies (home and auto). We will then put everything we plan on keeping from the house in a pod or two for long term storage. My wife is from Korea so we will go there and rent a condo for a couple grand a month and travel from there. Most of our travel I like will be Asian but we can go from Incheon South Korea to just about any place on the planet. Why wait you ask? Well we do have a couple of nephews (we are guardians of) going through high school. The youngest is just finishing the 8th grade. We expect them both to board at schools so we can do some shorter trips until then but the sale of the house is about 5 years out because of them. That should answer that but trust me we are not exactly just waiting either. But we are pretty sure that living abroad in Korea will give us a leg up on travel. We are expecting to get the travel bug out of us by the time we are 75. At that point provided we had good health we will be able to then use our extra nest egg of the house sale to get a condo or rent an apartment someplace. I know I will not be buying another house at that point.
IMO, unless one is already bored with life outside of work, it's hard to imagine how one could find retirement 'boring.' After all, retirement is primarily about doing what one decides to do with their own life, ... rather than trying to meet someone else's expectations.
Since retiring 8-years ago, we have traveled, golfed, fished, volunteered, read, enjoyed the grandkids ... also, I just wrote the first of about 10-books I wanted to write during my working years, but never had time for
("You Can Know the Truth" - http://amzn.to/2gzKpY0).
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