Knitting up the ravel'd sleave of care...or something

[darkemeralds]

Having formed the mental notion that retirement is possible--and in the near-term, too--I decided to spend my weekend as if I were already retired. This exercise had the effect of helping me relax and not feel so frantic about "using my free time productively", and as a result, I was kind of pleasantly productive.

This morning, however, I woke at 6:00 or so and, feeling under-rested, went back to sleep. I didn't stir again till quarter to ten. Whoops.

So I emailed the boss. I didn't say, "Dear Boss, Having retired in my mind I almost decided not to come to work today." But that's kind of what I was thinking.

I suppose I should finish this cup of coffee and get dressed now, huh?

Comments

[tehomet]

Probably. :)

[darkemeralds]

LOL. Still working on it.

[executrix]

Oh, I dunno--I'm NOT retired but I often shuffle to the office in my jammies. If I had more opaque curtains I could be the "Nudist on the Night Shift" but as it stands, at least a nightshirt or sweatpants and a t-shirt is required.

[roseambr]

One word of encouragement... make an appointment with a PERS advisor/planner. That was when I found out the exact date I could retire and approximately what that would mean finacialy. It was the most valuable move I ever made and it resulted, as you know, in my actual retirement, which I love every single day!

[darkemeralds]

Good tip!

I've got an appointment next Tuesday with financial adviser at ING' and a PERS meeting on my calendar in the next few weeks. I'll set a personal PERS consultation then.

Meanwhile, just the very thought is changing my reality: itmade this morning's staff meeting go by really quickly! I suspect that if I'd run my entire career as if my well-funded retirement were imminent, I'd have gotten a lot farther!

[llaras]

My mom's neighbors retired early and they are so happy. Of course everyone has different circumstances and I don't know exactly what theirs were, but he worked for UPS and she worked for the phone company and they are both real big on saving money. But they also go to Hawaii every couple years and get new cars every 5 years or so and live in a big house, so I have no idea if they have another source of income as well. Off track! Anyway, they both retired early and it's so interesting listening to their stories of how they are adjusting. She's very much needing to fill her days while he just wants to relax. Heh.

[darkemeralds]

A lot of retired people I know had to learn to live less busy lives. I don't imagine that will pose a problem for me, but I do remember an 18-month period of paid unemployment (workers' comp injury) where, towards the end I was feeling a bit unconnected and unstructured, even for me.

I think for a single person like me, loneliness and isolation are the likelier hazards. I'm giving that quite a bit of thought.

[llaras]

Have you considered any kind of volunteer work? There are so many opportunities out there, from working with people or animals or doing stuff for the environment or whatever interest you might have. Education! The arts! Hee. Just a thought.

[darkemeralds]

Oh yes! I can't imagine NOT giving some of my time to something, though I'm not quite sure what that would be just yet. I imagine some ideas will emerge once I've had a little time to just veg out.

(I think working with animals would probably break my heart, though.)

[llaras]

Yeah. I was trying to think of some way that didn't involve breaking of hearts. But I think no matter what you're going to get attached, even if it's fostering or training or whatever. I know I would. My mom's friend works at a no kill shelter and I think that might be easiest but I would still want to take all the kitties home.

[darkemeralds]

That's it exactly! All the kitties! To me! To me!

[llaras]

Hee! My mom and I joke that if my stepdad wasn't here we would have ten cats. We say it in a kind of horrified voice like it would never happen and then we laugh, but...

I think if we had a lot of room and the means to keep them? We would so do it.