I thought it would be easier....

[+ purplekow]

Retirement. Who knew.

 

What else looked easier from the outside?

[+ WmClarke]

Anal.

[dcguy20]

Purplecow, I'm very curious. In what way?

[+ purplekow]

Purplecow, I'm very curious. In what way?

 

To take this to a serious vein for just a second, before returning to the hilarity and witty wisdom I was hoping this would engender, retirement, in my case, was forced upon me rather than a choice. My identity and my profession were deeply interwoven and so the retirement came about as a sudden jolt rather than a smooth glide.

 

Time is no longer the issue, filling that time is. After returning from 5 fun days in Palm Springs with interesting conversations, naked young studs running about the pool and new and exciting interactions, I am back home with my loving dogs and Ellen, the tv show. I am not unhappy with this, just less than as happy as I want to be.

 

So retirement is more difficult for me, as it is more of a job to be happy than my job ever was and it is more difficult to fill the void left by leaving my profession, than I thought it would be. I am new to it.

 

Of course, if I had spent 18 months planning my retirement and telling people what a great retiree I would be and how mine would be the best retirement ever and that I was going to make retirement great again, I believe I would have settled with a greater ease and it would be more in keeping with retirement which I expected.

[+ purplekow]

Anal.

WmClarke, I am very curious. In what way?

[+ Funguy]

i retired almost 20 years ago (albeit due to serious back injury requiring several surgeries) and was so bored I could not stand it!

After 2 years of spending 3 days a week at the gym to re-tread my body, I was filled with piss and vinegar, ready to face life until the music played and it was more like a dirge. Bored does not even come close to describing it! Especially for a workaholic.

 

Cure-all: went back to work as a hired gun so to speak - a locum tenens doctor - I work when I want and where I want, I have numerous offices who want me full-time but, no way! I am Medical Director for several offices (works well part time) and in several different areas of medicine so I am always challenged and interested in what is going on. And never bored. Nevermore, saith the Raven!

[+ MasssageGuy]

I "retired" three years ago and have never been more active physically. After years at "desk jobs" in Corporate Amerika, I can do what I want, when I want.

 

I've gotten a certificate in horticulture and actively tend to three acres along with horses, goats, etc... I do consulting when I want to. I don't have an "agenda" on my consulting gigs, thus bring an unbiased perspective to clients. Counselor Troy from Star Trek...

 

Successful retirement has three major components, I think:

1. Exercise!!!!

2. Diet (proper diet that is)

3. Compassion - we are social creatures and remember we need to give back. Read up on limbic resonance... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbic_resonance

[Electra225]

I "retired" and got bored. I took a 30-day vacation to figure out what to do next. I established my own company doing "Have Gun Will Travel" advisory work for old and new clients. I work 30 to 40 (sometime more) hours per week and enjoy what I do. Being a "hired gun" allows me to work my own schedule and take time off for mini-vacations (long weekends) and do some charity work.

[+ WmClarke]

Retirement. Who knew.

 

What else looked easier from the outside?

 

Anal.

WmClarke, I am very curious. In what way?

When we meet, I'll show you.

[+ Eric Hassan]

When we meet, I'll show you.

 

I want to be a fly on *that* wall ... if for nothing else than to hear @purplekow's running commentary!

[+ Charlie]

Retirement. Who knew.

 

What else looked easier from the outside?

Being President, according to Donald Trump in an interview today. (Please don't move this to the Politics forum.)

 

I have never totally retired, despite formally retiring from my fulltime professional position 14 years ago. I continued to work as a part-time paid consultant for a major organization, and to do some volunteer work. Each year in retirement I have done a little less, and so far this year I have worked a total of only three full days, but I am reluctant to quit work altogether, because it would announce a finality to my career that would make me feel really old.

[TruthBTold]

To take this to a serious vein for just a second, before returning to the hilarity and witty wisdom I was hoping this would engender, retirement, in my case, was forced upon me rather than a choice. My identity and my profession were deeply interwoven and so the retirement came about as a sudden jolt rather than a smooth glide.

Time is no longer the issue, filling that time is. After returning from 5 fun days in Palm Springs with interesting conversations, naked young studs running about the pool and new and exciting interactions, I am back home with my loving dogs and Ellen, the tv show. I am not unhappy with this, just less than as happy as I want to be.

So retirement is more difficult for me, as it is more of a job to be happy than my job ever was and it is more difficult to fill the void left by leaving my profession, than I thought it would be. I am new to it.

Of course, if I had spent 18 months planning my retirement and telling people what a great retiree I would be and how mine would be the best retirement ever and that I was going to make retirement great again, I believe I would have settled with a greater ease and it would be more in keeping with retirement which I expected.

 

I wish I had spoken with you about this when we both were in PS. I also HAD to retire rather than choose to. The same issues keep me from any part time job that I have thought of so far. I also think that the type of professions we both had are in some ways bred in the bone and very hard to put out of our minds. Any way I am giving myself just a little more time to glide into retirement. I am also lucky that I have family that are attempting to keep me busy. Most of them are retired and always seem to find things to do. They phone and invite me, so I am lucky that way.

[+ purplekow]

Being President, according to Donald Trump in an interview today. (Please don't move this to the Politics forum.)

 

I have never totally retired, despite formally retiring from my fulltime professional position 14 years ago. I continued to work as a part-time paid consultant for a major organization, and to do some volunteer work. Each year in retirement I have done a little less, and so far this year I have worked a total of only three full days, but I am reluctant to quit work altogether, because it would announce a finality to my career that would make me feel really old.

 

Yes that was the incentive to start this thread. It is true and I hate to admit it, I was inspired by donald trump.

 

 

So you have worked three days this year and how many days have you spent pursuing hot men. My guess, is that your "work" is really a hobby and your real job is the pursuit of hottiness.

[+ purplekow]

I want to be a fly on *that* wall ... if for nothing else than to hear @purplekow's running commentary!

 

 

Eric, there would be no running commentary, all my running would be after you, you sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy man. Did I mention you were sexy? Well just in case, you are so fucking sexy.

[+ Eric Hassan]

Eric, there would be no running commentary, all my running would be after you, you sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy man. Did I mention you were sexy? Well just in case, you are so fucking sexy.

 

I promise not to make it hard to catch me

 

For something a little more on topic ... I'm just thinking about the roles we take on in life. We are brothers and fathers and sons and lovers and friends. It hurts when someone leaves or dies because there can be a fundamental change to a life role - to who we know ourselves to be. When it comes to gainful employment, there's a similar feeling - there is a loss when we are forced to retire, do it voluntarily, change jobs, lose jobs, etc. There's a fundamental change in who we know ourselves to be, and sometimes those changes - expected or not, anticipated or not - can really screw with your head for a while. I hope that you all are taking care of yourselves, recognizing a need to mourn, and then finding joy in other roles!

[TruthBTold]

Another thing to think about is that you may choose to stay in contact with people with you used to work with. Once I retired I still had lunch or went to dinner or plays with people I used to work with and thus remained friends with. It is hard because it maintains a bridge with what you used to do. It is natural to talk about your old profession. So even tho you have retired, in some ways you haven't.

[MikeyGMin]

Due to a corporate spin-off to a company who treats American-based employees as a problem that must be solved, I'm pretty confident that my retirement is going to be accelerated to within the next year or so. I have my eye on a house in a medium sized city in Costa Rica's Central Valley. A small house with a large garden (my passion.)

 

I will be leaving my closest friends behind, but I do have a couple friends down there. I also tend to be a very solitary creature. I think I will be happy with a simple, slowed down life. My dog, my garden, and friends to see occasionally.

 

Hopefully, adjusting to the new slower pace will not be harder than it appears to be from where I sit now. I am soooooo over Corporate America.

[+ MasssageGuy]

I am soooooo over Corporate America

 

+1,000 brother.... Nothing by cost cutting to enrich executives.... When was the last time a Corporation actually built a factory and hired staff (full time) with benefits....

[Traveler North]

Retirement. Who knew.

 

What else looked easier from the outside?

 

Been retired for over 20 years. Retirement was easy for me. While I worked, I always had other activities in the community. When I retired, I Concentrated more on those activities with more involvement in then. Still do this to this very day. I sometimes wonder how I ever had time to work.

[+ Robster]

Anal.

Yeah, what he said. From the outside, it looked pretty easy. But from the inside, it hurt like hell!

 

Rob

[+ GregM]

PK, I remember you love dogs. Why don't you look at volunteering at a shelter or maybe fostering pups till they can find their furever homes? Dogs are active social furbabies. They'll get you outta the house, off your rump and get you socializing. Plus wouldnt be better than getting puppy kisses on your nose?

 

Hugs,

Greg

[+ purplekow]

PK, I remember you love dogs. Why don't you look at volunteering at a shelter or maybe fostering pups till they can find their furever homes? Dogs are active social furbabies. They'll get you outta the house, off your rump and get you socializing. Plus wouldnt be better than getting puppy kisses on your nose?

 

Hugs,

Greg

 

Greg, I have four dogs of my own and if I were to step into a shelter, I would have many many many more because I would not be able to leave any of them behind.

[+ GregM]

Greg, I have four dogs of my own and if I were to step into a shelter, I would have many many many more because I would not be able to leave any of them behind.

 

And that's a bad thing?

 

Hugs,

Greg

[+ purplekow]

And that's a bad thing?

 

Hugs,

Greg

No, I have had as many as 7, but my group is aging now so I do not want to stress them. Had a thunderstorm and the bed was packed. 4 dogs total weight over 300 pounds.

[Despardo]

To take this to a serious vein for just a second, before returning to the hilarity and witty wisdom I was hoping this would engender, retirement, in my case, was forced upon me rather than a choice. My identity and my profession were deeply interwoven and so the retirement came about as a sudden jolt rather than a smooth glide.

 

Time is no longer the issue, filling that time is. After returning from 5 fun days in Palm Springs with interesting conversations, naked young studs running about the pool and new and exciting interactions, I am back home with my loving dogs and Ellen, the tv show. I am not unhappy with this, just less than as happy as I want to be.

 

So retirement is more difficult for me, as it is more of a job to be happy than my job ever was and it is more difficult to fill the void left by leaving my profession, than I thought it would be. I am new to it.

 

Of course, if I had spent 18 months planning my retirement and telling people what a great retiree I would be and how mine would be the best retirement ever and that I was going to make retirement great again, I believe I would have settled with a greater ease and it would be more in keeping with retirement which I expected.

I can relate. I retired about 4 years earlier than I had expected due to the fact that my comfortable job had just evaporated. I've done a lot of traveling, but now find it hard to fill up much of my time.