Retirement

I was at an event on Friday to announce the retirement of the ED and the appointment of the next ED.  I’m on the board.  After the ceremony, the retiring ED asked me what I planned to do when I retire.  I told her that I have a lot of plans and asked her what she plans to do.  She said she wanted to do all the things she hasn’t had time to do.  Another friend, who owns his own business, said he wouldn’t know what to do, so he planned to keep working.  Other friends said they would stop in a heartbeat if they could afford it.  We are of course baby boomers.  It is said that many of us haven’t saved financially for retirement.

I’ve been thinking about retirement for several years.  I’m satisfied with my retirement pension and have healthy enough savings, so I believe I am financially set.  You need to know I’m a planner and worrier about having enough money, so I am probably in better shape than I believe.  I don’t want to end up as a bag lady.  I’ve mentioned before that I see my value as what I have done working.  So when I retire, what is my value?  That has been the frightening question for me.  I’ve had to get comfortable with feeling like I am nobody without my job.

I have in general lived my life not putting off what I want to do today for tomorrow because tomorrow may never come.  My mom died when she was about 51.  She and my father bought property at lake Tahoe and planned to build a house there for their retirement.  But she died before it ever happened.  This was a lesson for me.  My life at times has been very busy, but I have enjoyed it.  I’ve done lots of volunteer work on boards, camped, hiked, vacationed, got my master’s degree, trained and competed with my dogs, read books, took up the violin, rode my bike, whatever has seemed important.  So, I have many interests outside of work.  I believe this is the key for a fulfilling retirement – many interests.  And a desire to learn new things.

I’m one of those who do New Year’s resolutions.  I think about where I would like my life to go in the next year and what I have to do to get there.  What I have to do to get there becomes my resolutions.  I’ve found that if I think about it, write it down, then I will probably do it.  Enough of my pontificating for now.