Originally Posted by
Simplemind
I find it interesting that the word retire has so many different meanings. To some it seems to mean a certain age and activity level. When I announced my plans to retire at 55 there were so many who talked to me and asked me why I would do such a thing. Why would I leave money on the table instead of working three more years? It was as if I was doing something crazy like entering the desert without water. Several told me they couldn't possibly do it because they would be too bored. What ????
I don't understand that kind of thinking. I have never regretted going early, I had planned it for years. I have never been bored. Perhaps some people really need structure supplied by somebody else for their day. Not me.. I didn't retire and then find myself at home with nothing to do. All retirement meant to me is that I had a pension that covered my needs and almost all of my wants. I no longer have to work for money which frees me to work as a volunteer for programs that are important and interesting to me. I get to travel far and wide, structuring my time as it suits me. I get to spend time with people I care about and help where I can. I had good fortune but I also had long vision and planned for it financially as well as intellectually and emotionally. I'm hardly sitting at home sinking into the couch cushions watching Judge Judy.