Some Thoughts On Retirement, One Year In
It has been one year since I officially retired. Whew! That seemingly went by fast. And I have some thoughts on retirement.
I had previously mentioned that one of the first reactions was a surprising one: Where did all this free time come from? I had kept myself so busy, or had just fallen into the frantic lifestyle of constant motion. Regardless, having an abundance of free time at first was startling. After only a few weeks, I was comfortable with it.
As I have mentioned, since retiring I have been working about two days a month. So, does this mean I am not fully retired? No, I am still retired. While I do get paid for the hours worked, the major benefit of those two days is social and technical. I go into the office, interact with co-workers, and keep my hand in some technical things.
I had put a title on it (the title of the referenced post): It is better to be retired than not retired.
This of course is only if one has things to do and is happy with one’s life. There are few more depressing things than a bored retiree. So, for some, retirement may not suit them.
What Is Retirement Like?
Being retired is like marriage, it is an acquired taste. Of course, that was as close to a joke as I can make on this subject. Putting all three concepts, “retirement,” “marriage,” and “an acquired taste” in one sentence makes for a funny juxtaposition, like inserting a sour pickle into a dish of ice cream. But there is some grain of truth in the joke. Both retirement and marriage take getting used to. So those who jump into marriage or retirement without planning and forethought can find themselves with unexpected results. (“Unexpected results” is a euphemism commonly used in to software industry to mean “errors or other bad outcomes.”).
Time in Retirement
The experience of Time changes when one retires. Or it did for me. I still know what time it is. And I do not mean I waste time away all day. But since I am not pressed by the daily routine of commuting, work deadlines, and so on, I often have time to experience things without the pressure of keeping myself ready for the next immediate task.
What Time?
In a conversation with a friend who is a fellow retiree, he mentioned his experience of time changed such that he does not mind as much now if he is put into a position to experience something he is not interested in. I was puzzled by his statement. But he said that when he was working, he had little personal free time available, so any diversion (such as being dragged by his wife to a bad theater production) would be terribly annoying. However, since he retired, with much more free time on his hands, his potential annoyance level for such distractions lessened dramatically.
Not Being a Child
When I was a child, I remember it was common to hear the adults (“the grown ups”) cough, hock and hawk, spit and fart. Now that I am older, I find myself it is I who is the one to cough, hock and hawk, spit and fart. Dang, I became a grown up. At least the calendar thinks so. Do I feel like a grown up? Sometimes.
What Is Not Useful
What I find often less than useful is the what I call the “look back syndrome.” While perhaps somewhat inevitable, too much retrospective vision can be demoralizing. Spending time brooding about the past, falling into the disease of “should-a, would-a, could-a” is not helpful or productive. I don’t ignore the past, or pretend it does not exist. But I do not wish to wallow in the negative aspects of it.
The End Is Near or Far
Since we never know how much time we really have on this Earth, living with fewer regrets makes for a happier life.
What do you think? What has changed for you since you retired? Or if you are still working, how have you been preparing? Send me your opinion. See Contact page how to respond.
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