Phil Dives into Retirement (4)
A series of articles about transitioning from a very structured professional life
By Phil McCavity
Soon-To-Be-Retired Dentist
My wife and I just got back from a week at an all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic. It was a nice resort on the beach, and the accommodation, food, facilities, and service were all good. No one under the age of 18 in our part of the resort, so no crying babies in the middle of the night, no food fights in the restaurants, also good. I’m not one to sit around the pool all day, roasting in the sun, but we did spend some time relaxing by the pool with books in hand.
On a previous southern holiday, I took a book I had not yet started. The book was abysmal, a self-published, unedited, incoherent mess. There was nothing else around to read in English, so I was stuck with looking at the pictures in a Spanish version of National Geographic. This vacation I took a book I had already started, Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens. There are certain parts where the language (circa 1859) is difficult to plough through, but what a story! And I got thinking: What are my retirement great expectations? Certainly not as in Dickens’ novel; that is to say, an inheritance. (And after reading Dickens, you too will want to make liberal use of colons, semi-colons and parentheses!)
My expectations
Having given this some thought, I would say that my retirement expectations include good health, happiness, and opportunities to do things I like, to do things I choose, and to do those things when I choose. These things are mostly under my control – they don’t necessarily just happen. I will have to work at staying healthy, by eating well and staying fit. Already part of my life. I have chosen to be happy and am indeed so. And I have a lot of hobbies and interests to keep me busy and entertained, most of which do not involve going to a resort and sitting by a pool. And my wonderful wife is on the same page for all of this. The only thing missing is grandchildren, but our six grown children are being noncompliant. Nothing we can control.
I would say that my retirement is unfolding as it should, and I fully expect the experience to match the expectations. I’ll get back to you in a few months.
Phil
To retire means to find freedom.. to do what you want, when you want it. For some people it requires preparation, to draw a general line of : activities that you like, with people you like. You can adjust as you go, the idea is that you have full control. Most importantly, enjoy your life every day and avoid the stress. Have fun and don’t forget your glass of wine. 🙂