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Why should one feel guilty if they've done nothing wrong?
It's sort of the way people say that I should feel lucky to have retired early. Lucky? Other than not getting a random illness/injury, luck had little to do with it. I feel proud, happy, blessed, contented, and a few other adjectives, but guilty, or lucky? Nope.
I'm grateful that I could retire early at age 56. It wasn't something I had planned, but when the command where I worked was disestablished, the only real alternative to retirement was a daily 12 hour commute/workday to DC. It simply wasn't worth it to me as a quality lifestyle. Retiring at 56 meant that I was available to take care of my late H when his cancer returned and then ended his life. It also meant that I had the time to regularly visit my Mom in assisted living (2 hours away) as well as handle the sale of her home and all of her other financial affairs. I would have missed out on a lot of time with both of them had I still been working full-time, especially as my former job entailed a great deal of travel. I
People are already asking me that [ I am sixty, but I can PRETEND I look much younger,right?] I am not offended. I am excited to share with them. I think some people ask because they are afraid of being old and re reassured by hearing about the awesome things that can be done [usually on a shoestring budget] after retirement. They might be looking for ideas to add to or scrathch off of their own list of what they want to do. Also, being Autistic, therefore a literalist, until the past few years, believed that people truly cared about my well-being when they asked "how are you?" Maybe it is the same kind of meaningless question.
P.S. If I ever ask you how you are doing, it is a sincere question and I would like to help you in any way if you are not doing well.
I retired at 53 also. 5 years on (happiest in a long while) I laugh at the suggestion of ever working again. If someone suggested I should feel guilty, lazy or irresponsible for doing this, my latent abilities at mockery would cut in (in the nicest possible way).
I instructed both my sons to work on 30 years maximum, post education, for a reasonable working career length. Anything longer suggests those 30 were not wisely occupied.
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I instructed both my sons to work on 30 years maximum, post education, for a reasonable working career length. Anything longer suggests those 30 were not wisely occupied.
Or alternatively, worlking longer than 30 years could also suggest that the worker finds his employment gratifying, meaninful, and enjoyable to the extent that he doesn't wish to give it up in the shortest possible time.
Why should we feel guilty for having done nothing wrong? There were material indulgences that we did not take, expensive habits that we did not form, and other lifestyle choices made long ago that allowed retiring earlier than average. Parents were not wealthy, either.
Nope, no guilt.
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