Happy

Learning How to Retire.

When I first began my blog, I made a deliberate attempt to avoid revealing my age. Who is going to want to read what old people have to say? But when the essence of my blog is my life’s story, I realize now how dumb that was. 

I’m 76 years old and retired, finally.

I’m guessing that the retirement experience is unique for every individual so in this article, I’m not going to promote or discourage any particular approach. I simply want to express how happy my wife and I are right now after 7 years of settling into retirement.

A large % of the population probably plans their retirement. I did not.

I kinda/sorta felt we would be “all right” financially. Fortunately, I was right on that score, without ever laying out the details.

After 4 careers, 3 in the retail businesses and one with TSA, yes, the airport TSA, I finally stopped working in 2015. I stopped working but only recently have I actually settled into a retirement state of mind.  

What prompted me to examine where I am in the evolution of my retirement at this particular time was how fully satisfied I am with everything in my life. How, after retiring in 2015, did I get to this level of satisfaction in2022.

The most significant element is our immediate family. My wife and I have, on most days, been happily married for over 55 years. One major ingredient in our relationship is her outstanding cooking (pun intended). We cherish the time we spend with our bright, beautiful 4-year-old great granddaughter. We have 2 granddaughters both of whom are adults now. We have a son and daughter; both very successful in their chosen careers. Having read Steven Covey’s work,“The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” for over 25 years, I’ve learned to love them all for who they are; not for what I wanted them to be.

Along with the family to keep me busy, here are a few pastimes I’ve taken on in the past 7 years.

Swimming: After a debilitating back injury, I took up swimming about 5 years ago. I swim 6 days a week and when the pool’s not open on Sunday, I walk for over an hour. Read Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s, “Stay Sharp” for a better idea of how to keep the brain healthy and enjoy a better life.

Investing: To me, doing my own investing has been rewarding and very informative. Did you know that an iron and water-based battery is under development right now and could replace Tesla’s lithium? Talk about rewarding!

Landscaping: Enjoy the pictures below! I’ve learned most of what I know about horticulture in the past seven years. I’ve personally dug up and moved tons of red clay. My wife is kind enough to instruct me on exactly where and what kind of flowers should be planted.

Jigsaw Puzzles; My obsession! After 3 years of puzzling, my garage has become a gallery of over 50 completed puzzles. I can’t get myself to disassemble them or, God forbid, throw them away. I have about 200 anecdotes from our time at the dining room table assembling puzzles.

Read my earliest blogs for some of the best.

Expressing my happiness in retirement really felt good. It’s all worked out well, but I highly recommend you plan yours.