Pensamientos

Since retirement, my world has shrunk. The pre-retirement dream and the retirement reality exist on different planets. While working, I would dream of the day when I had complete freedom to be in charge of my own time without the daily restrictions of specificity- a certain place, at a certain time, doing the same things. I craved the freedom to be creative and to do "my own thing," whatever the hell that meant! I longed for the day when I wouldn't have the responsibily of other people relying on me to solve their problems. I thirsted to travel, to write, to read, to get up late, to fish, to play golf and learn interesting new things. Ater five years in retirement, the reality does not live up to the dream. What I've discovered is that life's meaning is truly found in one's work. The day to day interaction with people and the problem solving, activate the mind and spirit and keep us healthy and happy. As I write, I find myself alone, adrift, without focus or a real sense of purpose. I've retired from the mainstream of life. I've decided to set some new goals, find some enjoyable work and re-focus my life in a meaningful way. For those considering retirement, I have one simple word of advice , "Don't!"