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Maybe it's time to un-retire. You may be one of those people who finds great meaning in their vocation, and any subsequent avocation pales by comparison. Have you considered returning to work?
My father used to say when he had been retired for about 5 years that retirement was just an extremely boring way to wait to die.
When I was working I could never understand this. He's been dead since 2004, and retired in 1980. My mother is 95 and is still waiting.
My wife is working herself to death with volunteer work. Everything I've volunteered for has not turned out well, and I either got dumped or I got tired of being used and quit.
No one really cares what I say about anything, especially the wife.
I find that I do, after 6 years, understand exactly what my father meant.
With all due respect, I want to suggest that your attitude might be what has colored your retirement experience.
Your experience is not mine, for sure. I have enjoyed my 10 years of retirement very much.
Spend time with your wife! Go out and do something together that you both enjoy. Re-kindle that romance.
You have something right there in front of you that could make your retirement worthwhile.
Why is she killing herself volunteering.
<snippage>
My guess would be to stay away from ol' Grumpy, LOL!
Seriously while I would have preferred to retire healthy, outside of dealing with my disability I am ENJOYING my retirement. I have many interests other than "work" - rather, "employment", because many of the things I enjoy require labor, such as gardening, knitting, crochet, sewing, quilting, cooking, ad infinitum.
Perhaps no one listens to you because you have nothing interesting to say. Perhaps you are griping about things too much, such as complaining that your volunteer opportunities were "using" you. OF COURSE they were - that is exactly what volunteers are supposed to be there for! That is, in fact, what your former employer(s) did as well - they USED you.
Do some reading. Learn something new. Maybe then you'll have something interesting to say.
Its sad if you have no life outside of your former employment. Now might be a REALLY good time to start looking for one.
Financial preparation isn't the only thing to consider going in to retirement. You need to have a life. If you haven't had one before, its not to late to seek one now. It'll only be "too late" when you're dead.
I gotta say, OP, that I think it is unrealistic for someone to use the skills you have in a volunteer position, as others have said. You may (and I believe you do) have much too high expectations for what volunteer positions can give you. Have you thought about starting your own non-profit? Perhaps there are members of your community who need your skills but cannot afford them. Yes, I realize you are doing this online, but perhaps it is the face-to-face contact you are missing. Does your community have a "crisis line"?
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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I now know what my father meant!
Your father doesn't have to write your script (Of course you know that).
but.... we inherit 'tendencies' (some of which are undesirable)
I would look beyond using your 'professional' skills and get engaged in LEARNING something totally different. That will avoid boredom for you and the others around you. Shake the sheepskin and become a sheep!
12 yrs retired, still quite a ways from reaching age 65 (healthcare), no boredom here. (volunteer, went to grad school, travel (RTW for 10 months last yr), work PT gigs in foreign countries, have rural props needing lots of attention, very engaged helping others (seniors to young inventors). Want to improve my music abilities and learn a couple languages. Time is SHORT!
Maybe those that are content are the ones with the limited imaginations and interests?
Jealous of happy people much? LOL!
Contentment is in fact NOT strongly correlated with "limited imagination and interests". In fact that is the OPPOSITE of bored.
People who are bored cannot think of anything interesting to do even when they have the time, the resources, and the ability to be active. Its a pretty clear connection to lack of imagination and interests. You cannot imagine anything fun to do, you cannot imagine anything that would pique your interest - that's either a lack of imagination or a mental disorder such as depression.
Contentment is in fact NOT strongly correlated with "limited imagination and interests". In fact that is the OPPOSITE of bored.
People who are bored cannot think of anything interesting to do even when they have the time, the resources, and the ability to be active. Its a pretty clear connection to lack of imagination and interests. You cannot imagine anything fun to do, you cannot imagine anything that would pique your interest - that's either a lack of imagination or a mental disorder such as depression.
Maybe they are easily entertained? Which is what I guess the OP is experiencing? His circle is not stimulating enough?
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