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I think once you are retired you look back on all the bull you put up on a daily bases not realizing how much of an impact it had on your life. In the last 5 years of work I provided engineering support to 65 engineers. The phone and email was nonstop, I traveled 1-2 weeks a month. When the local engineer could not figure it out or the customer was really angry I was the guy they called. 12-14 hour days was the usual as well as a few hours on weekends. When I retired all of that BS stopped and I got to thinking how nice life really is, I do what I want to do ( well really what my wife wants to do...lol) whenever I want to do it. Am I bored, nope not at all.
I think once you are retired you look back on all the bull you put up on a daily bases not realizing how much of an impact it had on your life. In the last 5 years of work I provided engineering support to 65 engineers. The phone and email was nonstop, I traveled 1-2 weeks a month. When the local engineer could not figure it out or the customer was really angry I was the guy they called. 12-14 hour days was the usual as well as a few hours on weekends. When I retired all of that BS stopped and I got to thinking how nice life really is, I do what I want to do ( well really what my wife wants to do...lol) whenever I want to do it. Am I bored, nope not at all.
Your experience is interesting and there is absolutely no reason to doubt that you are reporting it accurately. But there is an implication in the way you worded it that your experience is near universal, which is simply not so. Not everyone works horrendously long hours as you did. Not everyone has crushing responsibilities as you did.
After all, the 40-hour work week still applies for many people, even if it's rare for high earners. So the people who worked 40 hours most weeks, even if they did so for 40 years, had the opportunity to get enough sleep, pursue hobbies and outside activities, etc.
Retiring in your 50's is indeed an amazing gift. You're still young enough to do a lot of physical activities you may not be able to do in your mid 60's. Our neighbor has been retired since he was in his early 50's. He's 63 now and told us yesterday that he just went on his last ski trip. I guess his knees are going. He won't roller skate or ice skate with us either. I will find giving up all three of those activities very depressing. I just turned 60, also very depressing, but I'm still physically able to do the things I want to do. That also includes going out to one of the rentals and painting a ceiling today. Ugh. I guess you have to take the good with the bad. I'm spoiled by the total freedom I've enjoyed for over a year and a half now. Going to any appointment is a pain, and interferes with my total self indulgent me time. I've never felt so free. It's like being a care free child again except with a ton of knowledge that makes life even more interesting. Okay, there are aches and pains too. Aging is not fun, getting old mentally? A disaster.
I can certainly identify with the surreal feeling of being retired and no longer beholden to the necessity of working for a living. Whether we loved it, liked it, or hated it, work takes it toll on us, and that's the basis for the joy of not working. I now have the time I had as a kid, actually more time, kids have school to contend with, but I have unlimited time to indulge myself in whatever I choose to do. I'd be the first to admit that having that kind of free time can be daunting, at first. But, as the years go by, and our physical condition begins to wane, the feeling that this is a natural and inevitable way of life begins to sink in.
On a side note: We all begin the process of socialization at a young age, school, work, the military,etc, and we labor in those systems for a very long time. As much of our work lives were encumbered by the fact of our association with others, retirement includes the end of forced association, and that is a very real reward. Regardless of how much we may have enjoyed work, that aspect of it certainly dominated much of our work experience.
Your experience is interesting and there is absolutely no reason to doubt that you are reporting it accurately. But there is an implication in the way you worded it that your experience is near universal, which is simply not so. Not everyone works horrendously long hours as you did. Not everyone has crushing responsibilities as you did.
After all, the 40-hour work week still applies for many people, even if it's rare for high earners. So the people who worked 40 hours most weeks, even if they did so for 40 years, had the opportunity to get enough sleep, pursue hobbies and outside activities, etc.
Perhaps factory workers have 40 hour work week, but most professionals I know work more than a 40 hour week most are 50-60. My wife was a nurse often worked 10 hour days because of short staff, etc. Both of my daughters typically work 45-50 work weeks. Perhaps living in the northeast that is just what is expected.
What do others think, when you worked how many hours did you work?
I always suspicioned that retirement was a lot better than work everyday and all it's associated hassles. That's why I was willing to work so hard for so long. Just like an indentured servant, I was buying my freedom. For once in my life, I made the right decision. I gave up a lot to be able to retire before I was all used up and I am grateful every day!
One of my favorite things about retirement is not having to drive in bad weather. Ice, snow, driving rain, too cold, no scraping windshields...I can just sit inside and watch.
All of the above, for sure. Meaning your post, and the ones above it.
Talked to a long-lost cousin yesterday who is in her 50s and always did office support stuff. Her older husband retired from his work life with state water commission or something. They both have lifetime health insurance from the state until Medicare age. She has been retired for three years now and can't get over how much she loves it.
She says it's a blessing to get up every day and decide what you want to do, if anything. She and husband enjoy long car trips around the U.S. They have no kids and left family issues behind in NJ and moved to Florida. At first, they built their forever house- very big, all the bells and whistles, acreage. Forever house! After 11 years, they were tired of the size and maintenance, yard,etc., and bought a 1700sq.ft. house in a 55+ community on a lake, complete with alligators.
She advises not to say "forever" for any circumstances! Also advises that one not feel compelled to leap into a new plan of life but to spend maybe a year just doing whatever, or very little. While I agree with that, I note that she is well married (has company) and eased into retirement by working from home. I don't think she has any issue with depression or isolation. I think if I just jump into Colorado for retirement and don't have at least some self-imposed requirements for activity, I might get depressed and also won't meet people.
She can hardly speak she is so happy in not working. Says it's like "real life", maybe that is life as it ought to be. She was very encouraging!
I'm unemployed going on 8 months. Personally I would like to inflict serious bodily injury on the jerk that put me in this position. My wife makes enough to cover the bills and discretionary activities have been cut to zero however, it has been wonderful not dealing with the crap at work. I get up when I'm ready and do what I want or not want to do. Yeah, I can see how you cousin could be happy. In hindsight I wish I would have prepared for early retirement.
Perhaps factory workers have 40 hour work week, but most professionals I know work more than a 40 hour week most are 50-60. My wife was a nurse often worked 10 hour days because of short staff, etc. Both of my daughters typically work 45-50 work weeks. Perhaps living in the northeast that is just what is expected.
Plus.....what is not factored in is the commute time, traffic delays, bad weather (having to leave for work early or get home late, etc) which many times makes even an 8 hr work day 10+ hours. In fact I had a few friends work worked 9-5 in NYC but in order to beat the horrific traffic rush would leave their homes in NJ around 6:30 am to avoid the congestion and normally daily delays that would happen.....and then have no choice to get caught in the rush on the way home and normally not get back there until 6 or 6:30 or so on good days.....so....technically they worked an 8 hr day /40 hr week but really were giving up 12 hrs a day and 60 hrs a week (with all the daily commute stress & aggravation) Not much to do with that kind of life except on the weekends. Realize it's not like that everywhere but just a point that 8 hr days or 40 hr weeks aren't always 8 or 40 hours, sometimes much longer.
Last edited by luckyram; 03-02-2017 at 11:23 PM..
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It's like being a care free child again except with a ton of knowledge that makes life even more interesting. Okay, there are aches and pains too. Aging is not fun, getting old mentally? A disaster.
