Sam, I would agree with you that there are many type A people that are better off working than retiring, or at least working part time.....
My dad retired the same age as I did...55...he was quite lost for awhile....then he and mom started traveling, which they couldnt do when he worked.....
But many of us here are not that kind of personality, I think. I shoot competitively and for fun and the casting and reloading and load development take up lots of time, but basically
when I retired, I lost all my free time. I had to give up home brewing, canoeing and fishing....but the biggest thing I lost was stress. Some people thrive on it....my job was very stressful
and when I retired, it was like a huge weight was lifted off of my shoulders. The first day of retirement was kind of an odd feeling...but after 5 minutes I knew I made the right decision.
With the stress gone, I am much healthier and in good shape cause I now have time to exersise. I take 8 trips a year and camp out 20-30 days a year. When people ask me what I do with
"all that free time" I now have, I tell them, YOU try and take 8 trips a year minimum and see what happens...you plan for a trip, take the trip, come home and play catchup, and repeat.
Add to that chasing all those interests I had that there was no way I could do when I worked....and I have a love of learning....
I feel sorry for those that leave work and go home to die, or those Type As that try to retire and dont know what to do with themselves.....me, I wish there were three more touring months in the summer and
there were 4 more hours in every day....
(My wife just retired....she is now busier than ever, dog training, teaching dog training, putting on dog shows, attending dog shows, putting on seminars, attending seminars, writing dog periodical newsletters, etc.
She is kind of a type A as when we go camping, she cant sit still and watch the sunset...she has to be moving all the time, walking the dogs, socializing, etc....but she is happy)
I have nightmares about two things.....being in college again and having to go back to work!
Good luck John! The last 1,000 days of work, I made a calender and every day I would cross out one more day till retirement. Now I guess they have count down timers...times change! Just think....soon you will have a bike and you can point it
in any direction and ask yourself, "I wonder where I will be staying tonight!"
(My wife and I get along even better in retirement than when we worked....we make a calander, let each other know when we will be home or away, and enjoy each other when we are together, and enjoy our friends and activities when we are apart.
She doesnt want to see no stinking air racing and I can only do about one dog show a year....it works out perfectly!:smile:
I hope to work till the day I die.
Retirement is a paradigm shock to lots of unprepared people.
You can only fish so much and the same with motorcycle riding, wood working, RVing, etc-etc.
If you are a person full of energy (class A personality) then to go from a work life full of challenges that is busy all the time to almost nothing can be a real shock.
I retired in 1992 with a HUGE monthly income, Motorcycles, boat in the Marina, Motorhome with time-shares, FFL Gun store and lots of hobbies but I was still bored sick. We also at the same time owned a computer typesetting, Graphic-arts and printing business and that helped the boredom but my wife mostly ran that. Now, if I was a 'tired' type, introverted person, maybe it would have been easier on me. What really saved me was my competitive shooting and reloading, my dualsport/ adventure rides into the local mountains and my every other day excursions on my past Goldwing or my custom HD dresser that I had at the time. These things kept me occupied enough to keep me sane. I also have a very loving and supportive family and my FAITH always puts a smile on my face!!!!!!!
Be prepared for your retired years because it will be a big change in your life---believe me!
I worked 70-80 hours per week, flew all over the U.S. and still drove 60,000 per year in my job and I was happy with that.
The first MONDAY after a person retires is really tough, when you realize that SOMETHING has got to keep you busy and satisfy you.
Many recent retirees have marital problems because the two people are all of a sudden spending every hour and day with each other and some find that this situation is a whole lot different than just seeing someone in the morning and then at night.
Enjoy your upcoming retirement
Sam
