Will you just RETIRE already? There is a line waiting!

Since when did retirement get to be such a big deal? I mean, really folks, when the time come, be prepared and, as Nike would say, just do it. It is not rocket science.

Because I am old, I remember when people worked their required 30+ years and then they retired to do what retirees do. They went fishing, took care of the grandchildren, bought groceries and worked at what ever they wanted to work at.  It was natural and right!

Now there seems to be a trend toward working forever and staying young forever. People live beyond their means so retirement becomes a race to make enough money so they can keep on living beyond their means. Heaven help us all! Halting the passage of time forever is about as possible as a 20 month pregnancy or putting a rock on you child's head so he will never grow up. Some things CAN not be changed. We should grow up, do what ever grown ups do, let our children do the same and get on with our lives.

This is what I do in retirement...the picture is what I make it!

Have you ever thought that retiring as we grow older is a natural progression in our lives? It is a part of the cycle of life and as we grow old, we move over to give some space to our children or grandchildren. I often wonder if the unemployment problems we are in today are a result of the boomers thinking that, if they just keep working, they will not have to face themselves or even their home life. They are a little afraid of the next step and they take the cowardly way out. They keep going to work everyday while young people go without jobs.

I liked a post that Satisfying Retirement put up yesterday describing How to Retire. As Bob Lowry says, retirement is not simple. He points out that it is complicated and even hard. I agree. There is a sense of grief because of the loss the retiree may experience. Living with your spouse can be a trial that would drive a saint wild. The list goes on. But, my friends, take heart. You are tough and smart.  You can do this. You left your home when you grew up and it was hard. You probably are a parent and maybe you had problems. That was hard. You may have lost your parents or a sibling. That was hard.  You are aging and your body is doing what a body does as it gets some miles on it. That is hard. So what makes you think that retirement is going to bring you to your knees?

Life is a sequence of ages and stages. While we would all like to skip some of those stages, it is not going to happen. As those of us that blog from the experience of retirement will tell you, it is not about what life hands you, it is how you see what life hands you! This latter stage of your life can and should be one of the best. It allows you to make choices and live out some dreams...and it is not about money. Really, the simplest things are the most fun.

There, I said it!

b

Related articles

• CNN said: We dare you to take a vacation! Do retirees even need one? (retireinstyleblog.com)
• Gossiping about: When will YOU retire? Infographic (retireinstyleblog.com)
• Retirement: Don't Count on Me (Your Parents)...I am NOT a retirement plan! (retireinstyleblog.com)
• Seven Stages of Retirement Grief (Retire in Style, 2010)
• Retirement Realities:  What if Your Dreams Don't Come True (Feb. 2011, Retire In Style Blog)
• The Happiness Paradox (2009, Retire In Style Blog)