Advice I'm glad I ignored

[Gardnr]

Have kids or you'll regret it. You don't know what you're missing. The last time I was asked when, we had been married 28 years and were 14y post vasectomy.

Instead, we went to school as much as we wanted, we were living debt free before age 50 with our city home and a mountain cabin (now 100% restored) for recreation and relaxation. I retired at 58 and life is good. Hubster is working because he loves it and wants to save more $ for some of his high-end ideas on retirement life. I have nieces/nephews who've had experiences they otherwise would not have had.

My HS contemporaries? Some are on 2nd or 3rd marriages with pre-teens. Some are raising their grandchildren. 50% are divorced at least once.

Yup, kids would have improved my life.

[Simplemind]

"You will make more money working in the private sector" I had great benefits, accrued a lot of time off and was able to retire early with a very nice pension.
"Don't retire early, you will be bored" I retired early, never looked back. Only boring people get bored.
"Don't apply for SS until you reach your full age" I started taking it at 62 and have been investing it.

[Teacher Terry]

When I finished graduate school I only wanted to work for a government employer. Private paid much better but I wanted a pension. We lost money with wage freezes and furloughs through the years. My only regret is wasting almost 4 years in Kansas which didn’t count since I left.

[sweetana3]

My mom, He will never marry you........

Been 48 years Mom.

[herbgeek]

My mom, He will never marry you........

In a similar vein, Mom said that I needed to pretend to be stupid, that a man would never be interested in a smart woman, and many other such things to get me to hide my own light. Not only have I been happily married for 36 years, I became really successful at work only AFTER I put aside all of her sayings in my head. People actually paid me a lot to hear what I had to say.

[JaneV2.0]

In a similar vein, Mom said that I needed to pretend to be stupid, that a man would never be interested in a smart woman, and many other such things to get me to hide my own light. Not only have I been happily married for 36 years, I became really successful at work only AFTER I put aside all of her sayings in my head. People actually paid me a lot to hear what I had to say.

I got some of that, too--like I should always lose when I played games with men--which was an excellent metaphor, come to think of it. And "teachers don't like students who are too smart." It took me years to figure out that was an indication of how she thought. We had a prickly relationship.

[happystuff]

Was advised - definitely out of love and concern - not to adopt one of our children due to medical conditions. Best choice ever was ignoring that advice!