I am a little over two years into retirement, long enough to have passed the extended vacation phase, and I am starting to understand the joys of retirement.
I recently realized that when I was working I often wanted to escape, to get away, from work. I wanted to go someplace and be quiet, to do nothing, to talk to no one. And this was very-very hard to do. At best I might get a random day or two here and there, but for the most part vacation days were just replacing one filled calendar for another filled calendar. Since retirement I don't have this feeling. I am often able to have quality alone time. There is nothing in my life that I wish to escape. It is not that I don't want to get out and see the wonders, I do this often, or travel - I love to travel and will keep traveling as long as I am able to - but it is no longer to escape. I don't need to escape from this life.
The longer I am retired, the less my identity is tied to my work. When introducing myself, my work is no longer in the first sentence. Slowly it is moving into the third or fourth sentence, sometimes not even being there at all. I am retired. Not a retired lawyer. I am no longer afraid of the term retirement. It is nothing to be ashamed of, or afraid of. We worked and saved for many years to be able to do this.
I no longer dread Mondays. Monday morning, is just another morning. Sunday evening is no longer filled with fear and loathing. There are differences from day to day. Sunday is CBS Sunday Morning Show and 60 Minutes, Thursday and Saturday are water aerobics. Saturday if the weather is nice is farmers market morning. Everyday I walk, and most afternoons I spend time in the pool. The day to day, stress level is very even.
It took me a couple of years, to replace the social network of the office, with social connections in the community. This is something many people fail to do. I was surprised how fast, and how completely the work related network ended. There is one person from my old office that I stay in monthly contact with. A couple of people that I connect with a few times a year. But most of them are busy with their work lives. I have new connections, here in the community.
The last few years that I worked the income far exceeded my needs. It is easy to say I miss the income. But we have enough, our savings have grown over the last two years. I remind myself that we can't take it with us, and we should start spending what we want (within reason - once a stingy bastard, always a stingy bastard.)
I think I have moved forward into an engaged, but relaxed phase of life. Then I am shocked to think, HOW CAN I BE OLD ENOUGH TO BE RETIRED?
It was kind of a schadenfreude pleasure upon my retirement on Monday mornings as I sat on the balcony looking at all the sad people in cars and on trams travelling to their work places.
ReplyDeleteOnce I moved here, I enjoyed my subway train ride into the city, some days, it was the best part of my day
DeleteI do very much like no longer being identified by what I did for a living. Here it’s also much less common to begin a conversation with “What do you do?” or “What did you do?”
ReplyDeleteI walk, I play in the pool, I paint.
DeleteRetirement is literally the best period of my ENTIRE life. The only thing I have to do is be ME. My time is entirely my own, I'm financially secure, and so far I'm in good-enough health. I'm starting year 9 of retirement now.
ReplyDeleteIt is fun.
DeleteIt's a task to shift from workaday person to retired person but you're doing it the right way by staying busy with things that interest you.
ReplyDeleteThat's the plan; rather than work, do new, different interesting things to fill your time.
I get to play at things I enjoy everyday.
DeleteYou make it sound so very appealing. I might have to give it a try sometime soon.
ReplyDeleteWhen you are older.
DeleteIt took me a while to not worry about being productive each day - like I was just wasting time once I retired. But I have gotten used to relaxing, reading, resting, slow walks, blog reading and solitaire on the computer. My time is my own and I can do what I want.
ReplyDeleteBeing in charge of our time is really nice
DeleteThe retirement era is yours and how you wish to spend your days. You are an inspiration!
ReplyDeleteI lived long enough to do this.
DeleteAh yes, that Sunday night feeling. I was already girding my loins ready for the next five day offensive. Like a hamster running nowhere on his wheel. Now every day is a Saturday.
ReplyDeleteI just returned from the hamster wheel, gota get my hour of walking in every day.
DeleteGood for you I say! Well done, from beginning to now into the future.
ReplyDeleteWhen the time comes, take charge of your calendar and your life
DeleteWOW! 2 years already? It seems like you just retired a few months ago. This post means a lot to me, because I have said, nearly verbatim, all the things you have said in this post, and feel exactly the same way. I truly believe retirement will be the happiest years of my life, even if all we can afford to do is go for walks, sip tea, watch the sunset, indulge n our hobbies, and enjoy our favorite media. My time and freedom is FAR more important and valuable than any amount of money I could earn staying employed. It breaks my heart that Jeffrey can't retire when I do. But I hope his last 2 years go by as fast as mine did. 65 Days...can't wait.
ReplyDelete