retirement (Photo credit: 401(K) 2012)
What do you think of when you think of retiring? Even if you are not old enough yet to consider it, I am sure you have some idea of the perfect retirement.
Is it living on some idyllic beach watching the sunset with your Best Beloved beside you, or perhaps travelling the world with your BB, long lazy days in the garden or just sitting contemplating life? Well yes. I had all those thoughts too.
Willow Bay
In fact at the ripe old age of 48 I “retired” with my Dashing (Not So) Young Scotsman to a secluded bay in the Marlborough Sounds in the South Island of New Zealand. That retirement lasted all of 9 months until we decided that we were really city people and came back to civilisation. If you are interested, I wrote a post Paradise, Phones & Phrustration about that retirement.
As soon as we returned I quickly became involved again in the business world which I loved. Then my DYS died suddenly and I was cast adrift. I gave my daughter my business and spent time travelling and catching up on old friends.
Fast forward some 13 years. I now assist a friend in her Real Estate business; this suits me very well; I know I am not a retiree and this keeps my mind active and my body physically fit. My friend has gone off to Peru for three weeks and I am looking after the business for her. As I am not a licensed salesperson I can’t handle any sales but I can discuss properties with clients, can do all the paperwork and generally work behind the scenes. Well since she left I have been working about 7 or more hours a day, and I have just realised how old I am. I have always rejoiced in working under pressure and long hours but I had forgotten…..
Today, apart from liaising with the other sales agent who is handling the selling side, chasing up a lease contract, setting up an apartment for rental (including making beds etc), answering queries in her mailbox, providing information to prospective purchasers, dealing with contractors and tenants, it was quite an easy day. Lunch was taken on the run (but that is often the case) and fortunately my (male) friend helped me in the apartment even taking on the role of laundry maid at one point. Then to top off the day he made dinner. How lucky am I?
So “retirement” is not all bad. But between all this running around, the sport at the Olympics on the television, and writing my blogs, when will I have time to read the next Charlie Fox novel?
“She generally gave herself very good advice, (though she very seldom followed it).”
Lewis Carroll,
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass
..
I choose how I will spend the rest of my life 
I worked in Sheltered Housing for many years and found it sad that so many people seem to be miserable in retirement, because they have no outside interests. Clearly, you won’t suffer that! And, with such a widespread blogging community, there is no need to feel lonely. I plan to follow your lead ~ inspiring post, Judith! 🙂
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Thanks for the comment. I just don’t have time to do all the things I want to do in my ‘retirement’.
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most retired people that I know comment that they wonder how they found time to go to a job because their days are just full. I want to fill mine with travel and photography, writing and coaching. Pretty much in that order although writing often bumps itself up to first spot.
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yes writing for me pushes everything else out of line.
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I haven’t really given much thought to retirement, unless the rules change again I guess it will happen in about 20 years time. 🙂
I think that maybe I’d like to be living near the seaside, in a house with just a small garden and enough rooms for family and friends to be able to visit … or maybe a few extra rooms to let out as holiday lets or something similar, I do like to have people around. 🙂
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Or maybe on that far distant beach with the long cool drink Sallyann 🙂
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I’m looking forward to retirement…in about 15 years. Sigh.
I love that Alice in Wonderland quote (and I live it)!
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Retirement is just a state of mind me thinks. I don’t have time to retire. 🙂
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There should be a better word than “retirement” as one has not retired from life. I sometimes just say I am not working full-time anymore. And I do say busy with things that I enjoy, occasional contract work and volunteering. I do agree that one must stay busy! I feel very fortunate that I do have choices.
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Yes we are lucky in being able to choose what we do with out time these days. 🙂
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I’ve not given much thought to retirement. I laugh when I see funny signs, “Half as much money, twice as much husband.” I tend to keep busy, also, and don’t see any changes in that regard. Only time will tell, for us.
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Hi Patti. I haven’t hear the half as much money quote, but I love it.
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Retirement is so far away, I haven’t really even thought about it, beyond saving money for it. I just hope I get one 🙂
It sounds like your retirement is fulfilling. That’s the type I want to have, too…whatever it is I end up doing.
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Still trying to convince my family that I am “retired” At the moment feeding 3 cats once a day in Essex then coming back to London to make sure that 2 large Rottweilers are fed and happy and staying the night with them in case they get lonely,ha X
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Glad to see that those kids are keeping you busy in your retirement. 🙂
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In retirement, I do the things — lying oat which I excel lying on the couch and reading, sometimes at the same time. But I do volunteer at the library, twice a month, and work with a quilting group to provide small quilts for the Children’s Hospital.
Thank goodness I didn”t have a home computer before retirement: no time to read all those delicious blogs.
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Well it’s good to keep busy – what did our mother say – the devil finds work for idle hands. I believe that.
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Yours is the best way to retire/notretire! The trick is to stay busy and with purpose. My VWS (very wise spouse) retired at 55. In four years, he will have been retired longer than he worked! Imagine?
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You see even our husbands are in sync. Mine too retired at 55 but he only lived another 13 years. Pity.
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Sometimes I think I would like to get a paying job, Judith, so I would be more organized and productive. I seem to waste so much time, now that I’m retired. But if I had a job, I wouldn’t be able to go visit the children or fly up to Connecticut to visit my girlfriends. I want a job that lets me work whenever I want and lets me have time off whenever I want. Can’t seem to find anyone who is quite that accommodating.
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Well I have such a job helping my friend. Usually it is only a few hours a week but when she is away….
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