Retirement Talk for Boomers, Seniors, and Retirees

What do you do? I never know how to respond. Easy to answer that question when one is working at a job: I teach, I’m a lawyer, I drive a truck, I farm, etc. But when one retires, then it’s not so easy.

I remember deciding to retire and told my wife that I would always drop her a card from exotic destinations all over the world. She didn’t see the humor. She knew that there might be a chance that I would do that very thing. The day I retired - she retired.

Retirement can oftentimes bring the choice of staying where you have been living for many years, or moving. Sometimes we are torn. We like it where we live, but – we are drawn by what we don’t have; the old, “grass is always greener” trick.

Retirement gives us time to breath, time to letup, time to sit in quiet repose. We should know by now that we aren’t really going anywhere. We may as well take our time. Slow travel can really help.

"What Now" of course relates to retiring and what comes after that. Some of us have big dreams. I knew a guy in Alaska who retired and set off to sail around the world. He had a new boat made in Norway. He flew there to pick it up and sailed south and east. He didn’t get far; the Caribbean. He got attacked by pirates.

And what did we do with our lives once we retired? Did we do what we thought we would? We did want to get involved in our community. This involvement took an expanded turn with the invention of the Internet and Podcasting. Perhaps your’s will also. I serve this podcast as a tale of retirement as it may progress.

Some folks I know have spent the last few years living home free. They go somewhere they have never been; rent an apartment or house and settle in for several months. Their last stop was in Ecuador for six months.

Long ago, my friend, Glen died at age 39: brain tumor. He never had to consider the question of when he should retire. That can happen to anyone. Death is an equal opportunity employer. It can come very unexpectedly.

One thing about retirement: the appreciation of food accelerates. We can enjoy the growing, the planning, the cooking, the colors, and the eating. We have eaten and wished we had more. I should guess that many people may go to their grave thinking of food they have grown or food they have enjoyed.

Parents want their kids to learn to think. We want them to think for themselves. We want them to become independent. It isn't something with which we humans are born. At the same time we try to encourage independent thinking and we try to teach our children to listen to our advice or directions.

Sometimes I feel so out of it. When I stepped into the world of retirement I never thought I was leaving the real world. Now it seems like I see something, read something or hear of something of which I know nothing every day.

Health decisions seem to mount as we move towards and into retirement. What to do? Where do we turn for advice? Most of the time, we can readily agree with our doctor. Other times, it just doesn’t feel right. We want a second opinion.

I know some people who say they don’t know what they would do if they were retired. My experience tells me that you will, or can be, very busy. Busy, but busy doing exactly what you want to.

I remember deciding to retire and told my wife that I would always drop her a card from exotic destinations all over the world. She didn’t see the humor. She knew that there might be a chance that I would do that very thing. The day I retired - she retired.

My wife and I found that there is another choice; other than moving or staying. You can stay and move at the same time. No, it doesn’t seem to logically follow, but it is true. Here is what we did.

One of the early decisions one can make when retiring is where to live. You are no longer bound by your job to live in one particular place. For the first time in your life you can really choose where to live.

On the last podcast I set out Spinoza's thoughts concerning happiness as a possible rule to follow. Recall that Spinoza advised us to realize that happiness lies in the movement from a state of lesser perfection to yet that of a greater one.

This is a revisited performance of the second episode ever aired on this podcast entitled "What Now". I have made some changes that might better clarify and illustrate the topic. "What Now" of course relates to retiring and what comes after that. Some of us have big dreams.

This past week I came across an article about two folks - age 71 and 68 - who sold their house, sold their worldly possessions and bought a ticket to ride. They have decided to live house free during their retirement years.

When should I retire is a question we all consider if we are lucky. I wrote about this topic in the very first podcast of Retirement Talk. It seemed fitting. That was 15 years ago. I'm wondering If my thinking may have changed. I hope I've learned something during this period.