d0nnivain Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 I often hear people say I could never retire; I'd be bored. My GF who just had surgery is already complaining about going stir crazy. I'm like, What I wouldn't give for 6 weeks off. I can't wait to retire & no longer have scheduled responsibilities. Am I weird? Which are you? Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 everyone is different d0nnivain.... 1 Link to post Share on other sites
CautiouslyOptimistic Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 42 minutes ago, d0nnivain said: I often hear people say I could never retire; I'd be bored. My GF who just had surgery is already complaining about going stir crazy. I'm like, What I wouldn't give for 6 weeks off. I can't wait to retire & no longer have scheduled responsibilities. Am I weird? Which are you? I would love to be retired and have time to just do whatever I wanted. Many years ago when my kids were little I visited my grandmother and her new husband (both in their 90s) in Myrtle Beach, where they were retired. It was such a peaceful few days, doing things on their schedule. Sitting out back watching the birds, eventually making it out to go to a flea market or something.....whatever we wanted to do. Gave me a taste of retirement I liked very much! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Happy Lemming Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 41 minutes ago, d0nnivain said: I often hear people say I could never retire; I'd be bored. I had one close friend warn me about being "bored" when I "early" retired. That has not been the case, at all. My retirement has afforded me the time to accelerate the rebuild/remodel of my home. I'm also not rushing to get "day to day" chores completed (cleaning, laundry, dishes, etc.). It has also been easier to schedule little trips with my girlfriend. We go to places during the week, when others are working. The attractions/places are less crowded and more fun to enjoy. I do make myself "lists". I have long term projects and short term chores on different lists. Crossing off or deleting each item as it is completed. I also have the time to research different choices for building supplies and pricing at various home improvement/hardware stores. When I've had enough for the day, I'll unwind by popping on "Loveshack" to do some reading and/or posting. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
mrs rubble Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 I'm just like you Donnivain, I took 3 weeks leave last summer and on my last day off, I cut a nice wedge out of my fingertip and needed another 3 weeks off. It was bliss!! First time I've had 6 weeks off in years. Link to post Share on other sites
thefooloftheyear Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 I have been working non stop for more than 40 years now....And because I have been self employed practically the entire time, its so many friggin hours and responsibilities I cant even count them... A few years back I wanted to scale back...I mean, go figure...I deliberately tried to run my business down...Not by poor service or workmanship, but more by raising prices a bit, cancelling any marketing/advertising, and telling customers the lead time was very long... It didn't work....Work keeps piling in, and I am just tired of it...I don't even need the money anymore....I obviously don't tell customers my feelings, if they knew they probably wouldn't believe it..and I wouldn't want to insult them that way... I do wonder if I would go stir crazy like your friend...That's a distinct possibility... Not to be too morbid, but my biggest issue now is that I know that I wont live to be an old man because I really don't want to be one and strongly feel like 72 is about the end for me, that is if it doesn't happen sooner.....So that means there is less than 20 years left and I really don't want to continue with all this crap on my plate....I want to experience rest., peace and enjoy more quality time with my kid with so little left of life...its not even the physical part as that is pretty good,....my brain is just fried at this point..☹️ TFY Link to post Share on other sites
robaday Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 The last few years I realised the best way to stay content/mentally healthy is to keep busy. However recently, with a whole range of issues affecting me at once I am turning to mindfulness too (which is new to me). Granted that's only a couple of minutes out of the day but I am trying to learn to be both very "productively busy" and also "productively down-timing" to find a better balance 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Lucky Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 22 hours ago, d0nnivain said: Am I weird? Which are you? I’m going through this process as we speak, having run a large company with 500+ employees for the last 20 years. Honestly, retirement and potential boredom does concern me a bit, so I’ve carved out a consulting position with the same firm where I’ll work 8 - 10 days a month on my own schedule While I no longer want to work full time, I know enough about myself to understand I can’t do nothing. I’d guess the journey is different for each person... Mr. Lucky 2 Link to post Share on other sites
FMW Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 What I want, and have to a limited extent, is flexibility. I want something I know is there, I want SOME scheduled responsibilities, but I like to have some choice on my overall schedule. Retiring doesn't sound appealing to me right now, which is a good thing I guess since I won't reach full SS age for 12 more years. My mom is 73 and keeps a very busy schedule with volunteering. I'm grateful for that, because I don't worry about her getting lonely or being withdrawn now that my dad is gone. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
BaileyB Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 I would be very happy just to work three or four days a week... to reduce my time and ease the pressure around home would be wonderful. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
preraph Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Just because you have time off doesn't mean you have to sit around and vegetate. I would get bored if I had too many idle days off, but I would plan outings and get myself out of the house and get a hobby and do things. Link to post Share on other sites
LuckyM Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 I am retired and often bored. So I am on LS. And I live near a major sophisticated city. Realize that you have to fill 16 or so hours a day, and not only with hobbies or outings or errands. But if you have the friends, and family, thats altogether different. Link to post Share on other sites
2BGoodAgain Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 have you EVER had 6 weeks off? whenever i'm truly overwhelmed busy, i always wish for weeks off at a time... work 2 days a week or something... but it'll kill you... boredom is like the slippery slope before mass shootings, 200mph races on a 35mph street and other stupid things that you read about in the news. Link to post Share on other sites
Ruby Slippers Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 I'm pretty sure I'll be completely over the moon when I'm finally financially free and able to quit paid work if I want to. When I have time off, I NEVER run out of things to do. Quite the opposite - it's NEVER enough time off. I have a million things I want to do once I have the time for it - design and make my own line of clothing, tons of arts and crafts skills development and projects, design and build my own awesome house and swimming pool, take amazing photos, travel, write a book, volunteer and help people, learn new things, read tons of books, I can go on and on and on. Link to post Share on other sites
Ellener Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 On 1/20/2020 at 11:09 PM, thefooloftheyear said: my biggest issue now is that I know that I wont live to be an old man because I really don't want to be one and strongly feel like 72 is about the end for me I used to say something like that, '72- right age to die' etc. One day an old man at work looked at me and said 'why don't you see how you feel when you're 71?'! 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Ellener Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 On 1/20/2020 at 11:09 PM, thefooloftheyear said: Work keeps piling in, and I am just tired of it...I don't even need the money anymore.... It's time to cut back then? Assert yourself man, say no! Link to post Share on other sites
preraph Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 Not working is only fun if you have plenty of money to stay busy with fun things. Otherwise, it can just become a rut. Link to post Share on other sites
Ruby Slippers Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 2 hours ago, Ellener said: I used to say something like that, '72- right age to die' etc. One day an old man at work looked at me and said 'why don't you see how you feel when you're 71?'! I'm pretty sure I'm going to live to at least 100 and in some ways I'm looking forward to it! The women in my family usually live to their 90s, men to 80s and sometimes 90s, and most of them are tough as nails. My mom is 72, dad is 83, and they're both still remarkably active. They're also both wiser, smarter, and more fun now than they ever were when I was growing up. Back then they were plagued with a lot of family drama and worry. Now they're OK financially and know they can ride it out pretty much as long as they want to, don't sweat the small stuff as much. We've had the most fun together that we ever have in the past few years. They look forward to my visits and clearly delight in our time together. I'm very happy that after all the difficult times I had with my dad, I've managed to take charge of turning that relationship around and making the best of it in his golden years. It was NOT easy, took years, but I was determined, and it's a point of pride for me that our relationship is now so much better and healthier. Now I know that when they do leave this life, we'll all be at peace with our relationships with one another. That's priceless! 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Els Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 No, I don't think I'd ever want to retire completely. But scaling down to part-time or even purely volunteer work could be nice. Still a long way away, though... when the time comes, I imagine society would be completely different. No point making plans now. Link to post Share on other sites
SumGuy Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 (edited) On 1/20/2020 at 9:29 AM, d0nnivain said: I often hear people say I could never retire; I'd be bored. My GF who just had surgery is already complaining about going stir crazy. I'm like, What I wouldn't give for 6 weeks off. I can't wait to retire & no longer have scheduled responsibilities. Am I weird? Which are you? I've got plenty I love to do besides my day job, so would never have an issue. I also own a home, so that right there presents a never ending series of things to fix it seems oh and the dog, and someday grand kids... Edited February 22, 2020 by SumGuy Link to post Share on other sites
CautiouslyOptimistic Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 (edited) On 1/20/2020 at 9:29 AM, d0nnivain said: I often hear people say I could never retire; I'd be bored. My GF who just had surgery is already complaining about going stir crazy. I'm like, What I wouldn't give for 6 weeks off. I can't wait to retire & no longer have scheduled responsibilities. Am I weird? Which are you? I'm with you, but I would have to fill my time. I'm never, ever, ever bored now because I'm a self employed divorced mom with a 4 bedroom house to maintain. BUT, if I was not working and had an empty nest and lived in a smaller place, I'd have to find stuff to do. I have no doubts I could do that, though, so I'm totally looking forward to retirement and not dreading it! I'd love to have more time to volunteer or paint or work out or travel..... Edited February 22, 2020 by CautiouslyOptimistic Link to post Share on other sites
thefooloftheyear Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 13 hours ago, Ellener said: I used to say something like that, '72- right age to die' etc. One day an old man at work looked at me and said 'why don't you see how you feel when you're 71?'! Eh...The day I cant bench press at least my own bodyweight for some reps, or get a morning hard on...i'm finished...😂 maybe you are right, but I dunno, really...I am like one of those male lions you see on those nature shows... once he cant be the Alpha, he just goes off into the night and dies... So much of my life is geared towards physical performance...My work, my hobbies, etc...What then would I do once the inevitable starts to happen? My work also involves a great deal of mental acuity....About the only thing I do all day that doesn't require a brain(or at least any critical or analytical thinking) is come and post on here...I lose any of what I need and I may as well be a one legged man in an ass kicking contest... Also....being an old woman is kinda cute...Everyone loves old women/grannies...They kibbitz among each other, have little gatherings, go shopping and to the casinos and such...Even to this day, my mom has all kinds of friends and people she does stuff with, while before my dad passed, he lived alone and just sat in a room vegetating in front of a TV...Old men are just cranky old bastards, a lot of them with one foot in a grave and another on a banana peel😂 Anyway...I do want to spend some time I have left helping people/animals/the environment...I was offered an opportunity to work with inmates at a prison in a vocational program...I liked the idea, I just couldn't do it at the time, because they couldn't get the state to pay me what I was requiring at that time...I would consider it now..as my circumstances aren't the same as then...There are other things to consider as well....we'll see... TFY Link to post Share on other sites
CautiouslyOptimistic Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 5 minutes ago, thefooloftheyear said: I lose any of what I need and I may as well be a one legged man in an ass kicking contest... You don't strike me as the type to watch even ONE reality TV show, but Captain Lee, is that you????!!!!! (He's the captain of the boat on the reality show Below Deck and he says a lot of funny phrases like this, and he's said this exact one ). 1 Link to post Share on other sites
LivingWaterPlease Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 I'm semi retired and it's perfect for me! In the mornings I sleep until I wake up. Then I have devotions for between two and three hours while I drink 3/4 decaf with 1/4 regular coffee (I don't metabolize caffeine well) and fresh-squeezed lemon, ginger, stevia water, exercise out-of-doors, eat, then go to work. During the day while exercising and taking breaks when I work I'm on the phone with family and friends. I have several people I'm helping through hardships as I often end up encouraging and nurturing others who are going through a hard time, losing jobs, going through divorce, etc. This includes meeting with them, encouraging them, listening and praying with them. I also am always getting things together for my kids and grandkids. Writing cards to them, mailing packages to them. Finding things in stores to send them (doesn't have to be expensive stuff). Sometimes I lunch with friends, meet up to walk out-of-doors with them and that type of thing. I did have a boyfriend (LD) for a couple of years but we broke up the first week in January. The break up needed to happen and I've been fine with it. Old age is interesting in that people truly age differently. I take life as it comes, get plenty of sleep, exercise, enjoy devotions each day, work...it's very fulfilling but not perfect. Perfect would be if I lived near my children and grandchildren. One of my children is trying to get me to move in with them but I'm so not ready for that yet. In fact, not sure I ever will be. I'm so independent. But I could see myself living nearby them. Still, though, it's not time yet! 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Ellener Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 5 hours ago, thefooloftheyear said: I was offered an opportunity to work with inmates at a prison in a vocational program...I liked the idea, I just couldn't do it at the time, because they couldn't get the state to pay me what I was requiring at that time...I would consider it now..as my circumstances aren't the same as then...There are other things to consider as well....we'll see... That's it, still life in the old lion! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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