For those retired....what do you enjoy most?

[DieselnHooters]

I am not retired , not even close but those are some of the things I will gladly go without:

alarm clock

driving in blizzards

feeling blue every sunday night

spending the best fall-winter days at work instead of chaisawing in the woods

mandatory overtime

packing a lunch

seeing those same faces day in day out

most work related interactions

There are more but I have to prepare tomorrows lunch and crank up the ol ringer now

 

[toppop52]

Don't hate me but I've always had this pleasure. I'm not retired nor will I ever technically do so but I have been self-employed practically since birth.

When I operated my business I had to deal with traffic but mostly on my terms. These days I don't even have to deal with that, outside of rare miscarriages of justice :laughing:

I know plenty of people that earn more than me but at what cost? What ever you are comfortable with, I guess.

Put me down in the "Do what I want, when I want" category. I do plenty, but it's on my terms.

I was in business for 37 years, closed this past winter after slowing down the year before. It gave me a lot of freedom to do things and we took advantage of it. But I found that being retired is not for me, so now I'm service manager at my best friend's dealership, a big change after 37 years in the upholstery/interior design game, and owning a body shop for much of that time. But I can take off pretty easily and I'm not paying the bills. I'm also not home all the time to get every chore that someone can think of (wife). I just did not enjoy being retired.

 

[Green Acres Homestead]

I was self employed for most of my life in a very stressful 'heart attack inducing' industry. Hardly ever had a holiday and never had one where I really wound down. But I was able to retire at 54, thank God. Now, what I love most is waking up without my stomach immediately going into knots, worrying about the day ahead. I just love that feeling of being relaxed all the time.

Your situation matched my situation closely. No heart attack but worked in I.t. with a company that stressed me out to the limit. Took early retirement at 52 and the only time I stress now is when I think about my previous work life or when I am wanting to go camping in our new Rv and I am still waiting at noon for the wife to get out of bed. Think I will employ my tractor to make a few bucks so I can help the kids out a bit more but in summary retirement wasn't an option for me. I had to and I am thankful I had enough money to see me through. I do worry about my kids because times will be even tougher for them than it was for me.

 

[OldMcDonald]

When I needed money I worked (27 years in total) behind a desk, mainly in high pressure jobs and hated every minute of it. In between times I farmed full or part-time, sometimes working part-time. All I ever wanted to do was farm. Eventually, some younger "further up the line" decided I was too old and I was put out to pasture. That was 17 years ago and I decided I had had enough of being an employee.

I have continued farming full-time since then and moved from Scotland to Portugal and my fifth farm in four countries. I always buy land that needs to be pulled into shape, and I think the most enjoyment comes from seeing a productive crop on formerly waste ground. Getting to that point is usually very stimulating too, but it can be frustrating at times when you have to rely on other people for goods or services. I do not think I will ever retire, 70 now, and it will take me another 3 or 4 years to get this place right, but I would like to try one more after that.

 

[Jaeger]

The 6 years of pension checks!!!!

Miss a lot of the people but like doing my own things and unfortunately am working a 2nd job!!! too young to sit put!

 

[lakngulf]

Love the freedom to drop what I am not doing and going to my son's or daughter's house to help them in any way needed. My help is usually to offer advice and to keep the grand children out of their hair while they get something done. I just got back from North Carolina where I helped my son move some furniture, and played with grandsons while son and daughter in law moved and organized the small stuff. I talked to my son on a Sunday, heard about their plans, suggested I come to help, and I was there by Thursday. I saw "Poppa" written across their calendar. I mentioned that and my daughter in law said it used to be that my name would be on their calendar for a long time, because we had to plan visits so far in advance. That freedom is priceless.

My daughter and family were moving to a new house first of the year. They were in a rental, remodeling the new house, and had so much going on. Two grandsons were in school but 1 1/2 year old grand daughter was not. My job was to spend the day with Camille doing whatever we wanted to do, getting back home in time for nap, of course. Those were special days.

Now what is tough about retirement? I am an outdoor workaholic=greenhouse, garden, yard, lake activities and structures, food plots, habitat improvement, house remodeling projects, etc. When working I would spend couple hours a day and weekends doing those jobs. Now we have freedom to go places for week or 10 days at a time. So, I spend the days before and after trips working hard, not just a couple of hours a day. I have to work through that, as I am going at it a little too strong.

 

[MacLawn]

Self employed here too, so some people think I'm retired! Work from home. Whew, that's tricky! I can retire anytime now, almost 66, but will keep going a bit more. A brother in law retired a few years ago, and the old boy does absolutely nothing! He has no hobbies except watching football, lives in a subdivision, not mechanical at all, won't even hardly cut grass! He worked until about 70, sure didn't need the money, he just liked working, but now he's killing himself by inactivity. His daily exercise is walking about 15 steps to mailbox - thats it. We canno' be that way! Let's keep each other going boys! We're gonna make it.

Oh, I about forgot, what I like! Fishing! Piddling! I live piddling around me place, especially my shop/man cave.

 

[toppop52]

I'm a piddler, too. Start something, see some other thing, have to move something to get to it and it needs attention...

 

[vabiker23518]

Great Thread! I'm retiring October 1st (second time) Retired from USN in 2000 and will retire from second career this year! Looking forward to hunting season (bear and deer) and the transAmerica bike ride next spring. Lots of honey dos after that!

 

[lakngulf]

I'm a piddler, too. Start something, see some other thing, have to move something to get to it and it needs attention...

There are times when I feel like a bird==light down here and scratch a bit, then flutter over to another spot and scratch a bit there. Never finishing the original project.