Tempus fugit 5

Following Frank into Retirement (after 0.1 decade)

A series of articles starting 5 months from retirement

By Frank

This is Frank’s final article for this column. 

Days, weeks, and years pass too quickly during retirement, so I’ve switched to measuring my time in decades.  Even after 0.1 decade, I still get a frisson of delight each time I realize I don’t have to go back to work.  On returning from a great sailing and island hopping adventure in the Caribbean, I felt the familiar downward tug of having to return to work.  But wait! I’m retired!  Yeehah! We return from a busy schedule of visiting kids and relatives.  It’s great to be back home, but I really don’t want to have to go back to work.  Superbomundo!  I don’t have to go to work!  The months are zipping by so fast (picture blowing calendar leaves, rapidly changing seasons, and clock hands spinning) that it practically takes my breath away.

The Good

So much of being retired is far beyond good.  Even when Suzanne and I are required to do some onerous task, there is always the bright thought that tomorrow is another day and it is our oyster.  We’ve enjoyed spending more time with our family and helping them out when possible.  In our first year of retirement, we’ve travelled for over 0.01 decade.  That’s six weeks for those of you still on the old system.  Our home and grounds are better prepared for winter than ever before. We’ve even considerably shortened our list of “things that need to be done”.  However, best of all, I don’t have my work hanging around my neck like a millstone.  In fact, I no longer need to take any anti-depressants.  Proof positive that work was bad for my health.

The Bad

Hmmm.  The bad?  Maybe the not so good?  This could be a short paragraph.  I guess I could whine a bit. We can’t always be on the move, we also need to spend a significant amount of time at home; I find myself yearning to be home.  I want some routine to my days so that I can start to enjoy progress in the many activities that are home based.  This was one of the reasons I was looking forward to retirement.  Fortunately, we have the freedom to flex our lives to suit our whims, desires and needs.  Perhaps travel should no longer be considered as an escape from routine but as a change of scene, to be used when desired to augment life and spark interest rather than as a relief valve from workaday life.

The Ugly

There are some ugly aspects to retirement.  My lack of routine has allowed my “I should” list to blossom into a full fledged “what would my mother say about it” list.  There is also the whole senescence thing going on with me and those near and dear to me.  We can dress up our mortality any way we like, but we are on the downhill slope.  Should I be concerned? I think not; it’s unproductive in so many ways.

For me, worrying about money has got to be the fiend most foul.  How the heck am I supposed to feel comfortable about having enough money for the next 35+ years?  Since we are not receiving any pensions at this time, each year of retirement greatly impacts our savings.  Should we be cutting back our yearly spending?  Or should we continue to carpe those diems, for tomorrow we may die?  This boy is going out fiddling (or at least piping).

Final words

This will be my last blog as I have officially made the transition to retirement; I have decided to change my LinkedIn profile from “Maybe retired, maybe not” to “Very retired”.  My life will continue to evolve as I continue to pursue my second career as a retired person.  To those of you considering retirement, I would counsel you to make your plans as flexible as possible and not be afraid to change them continually.  There are no rules, just you.