Thinking Along Those Lines

Juvat's post the other day reminded me of something I've been thinking about lately.

Thinking about rather a lot really.

Retirement.

Won't be the first time I've done that. Did it 18 years ago when I finally hung up my Air Force uniform after 24 years. Yeah, it's been that long since I was on active duty. I've been back on civvie street just six years shy of the time I spent in uniform.

This is the longest I've lived in a place since I was a kid, back when I was living under my parent's roof.

Let me tell ya, at first that was pretty weird, staying in one place for so long. We bounced around a bit in the Air Force, not as much as some, but enough where once we hit a certain point we started thinking about what was next. Back then it was wondering what base we'd go to next, what country.

Now, well there really ain't a "next." This is it.

So while I retired once, I will retire again. But this next one will be the last one. I won't be retiring from any other job again ever.

Feels funny, and I don't mean funny in an amusing way.

On the one hand, more free time, no schedules (other than my own) to march to. On the gripping hand though, there's the less money, getting elderly thing to cope with.

I don't really listen to "financial experts." If they are so expert at managing finances, why are they still working? Hhmm?

While I don't dismiss such things out of hand, I have to remind myself that after I retire the days of pay raises are probably a thing of the past. Can you say, "fixed income?" There, I knew you could.

I feel that we'll be okay in retirement, three pensions (Air Force, company, and Social Security) should be sufficient to keep us active and fiscally healthy. Sure it's a pay cut but all the extra stuff Andrew's comment on Juvat's post about those "other expenses" were something I had never considered -

But, don't forget to tabulate all the non-expenses you will now have. No more work clothes, no more killing your vehicle working for the man (unless you're getting mileage, travel to and from is a big unaddressed expense.) No more having to do things for work that cost money (like buying lunch or breakfast or dinner out, or coffee machines, snack machines, etc.) It is amazing how much your job really nets you in income. Like how little you net after considering all the costs of the job.

That right there, while not exactly balancing the before and after retirement balance, certainly does help. Probably to the tune of a hundred bucks a week. (Okay, I drink too much coffee, and not the cheap stuff either, also I buy my breakfast at work. Yes it would be cheaper to buy the fixings and eat at home but the time investment to do that doesn't work out. I can eat at my desk and work, if I ate at home I'd have to get up earlier to make up the time. Yes, I have given this some thought, a lot of thought actually.)

But really, why do I want to retire?

Is the work boring? No, it's actually quite fascinating, probably some of the most interesting (to me at any rate) work I've ever done. (I read somewhere today that bad writers overuse dashes - and parentheses - in their writing, where a comma would serve just fine. Nope, I ain't buying that. Not supposed to use "ain't" either, right?)

Anyhoo, the work is still interesting but...

It's a grind. I'm on the company's schedule (which is fine, they are paying me, quite well, for my time) and there is a fixed number of hours I'm required to work every week. Not daily, it has to all add up to 80 hours at the end of a two week period. Again, they pay me, I do what they want. Seems a fair deal. Compared to my last job there is no "willing to put my life on the line" clause in the contract.

Still and all, I want to do what I want to do when I want to do it. I have lots and lots of things that I want to do but I don't really have the time to do now.

Write a book. (Re)learn to play the bagpipes. (Not that the cats will enjoy that, perhaps the neighbors won't either. But I can find a secluded place in the woods if need be. We have a lot of woods and empty space in New England. Though much of the empty space is between our elected representatives' ears. Ta-dump, tissshhhh. (Which is my drum and cymbal noise written out... Say it out loud, especially with other people around, you'll know what I mean. Well, maybe not with other people around.)

So I won't be one of those old farts planted on the sofa in front of the tee-vee. For, as Joe mentioned in the comments of the aforementioned Juvat post -

I was retired somewhat ahead of my preferred timeline and people asked me like it was the worst thing in the world, "What are you going to do with your time?" Like this was a huge problem. Maybe for a workaholic, but I can do nothing better than anyone. I do with my time what I want to do with my time (mostly, there are still occasional social obligations) I stay up way late and watch an old movie if I want, or I get up early (before 10) to play golf. I took up writing and have made $75 on two books that only cost me $3000 to publish, started blogging mostly every day, and have learned to play a mean guitar (make that mediocre playing). We travel, we just relax, I work out, and have found that there just aren't enough hours in the day for me to do nothing...but then as I said, I was born to do nothing, it is my gift.

I share Joe's gift, unlike the Highlander, there can be more than one.

But, if you see this...

...happening in an old building near you...

It's just Joe and I discussing how many people can share the gift of doing nothing gracefully and with purpose. I've gotta tell ya, I've had stints of having to do "nothing," and I'm pretty damned good at it.

Challenge accepted.

In two years.

That's the plan anyway.

That's the plan.