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Old 01-06-2023, 05:31   #1
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Retirement - what does it mean to you?

Reading through the retirement thread a bit, I kind of got to thinking what exactly is retirement? It seems to mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. What does it mean to you?


i’m not sure I could ever completely retire like my father did. He doesn’t do anything. He’s just enjoying relaxing. He did go through some difficulties where he felt useless and got some depression and stuff because of it. Because he didn’t have anything going on. He got over that. He has been doing a lot better. But he’s a very social guy and wasn’t getting exposed to a lot of people or feeling job satisfaction or anything like that. Which was always very important to him.

now, I can’t see myself retiring because I am just too interested in everything. I really can’t just sit there doing absolutely nothing unless I’m doing it for a reason like meditation. That in itself is interesting. There is a lot to explore in meditating.

now, you could throw all of your interest into a boat. And for many people that’s a great avenue because it it's new and the learning never ends. Keeps you busy and active until you can’t do it anymore. But what if you have been doing that your whole life already? It’s not quite as interesting. Not from an intellectual point of view. It’s just like computer science. Programming. That stuff is pretty boring because it was created by people. It’s finite. doesn’t hold a candle to physics, which is infinitely interesting.

So I don’t feel that I could actually retire in a sense of floating around drinking and doing nothing. retirement to me would mean more freedom to work on more interesting projects that don’t require me to make a living.

That's me.

what does retirement mean to you?
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Old 01-06-2023, 05:37   #2
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Re: Retirement - what does it mean to you?

In my mind, it's the point where you leave your primary career, and are no longer working full time. It doesn't necessarily mean not working at all, or not having things to do. I've seen some people retire and sit and do nothing, but the happiest retired people I see are the ones who retired and either got a part time job doing something fun, or put all of the extra time into their hobbies, etc. Those people stay plenty busy, just with different stuff than before retirement, and they're doing it all for fun, not with the primary goal of making money.
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Old 01-06-2023, 05:54   #3
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Re: Retirement - what does it mean to you?

It means you can go boating anytime you want.
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Old 01-06-2023, 13:44   #4
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Re: Retirement - what does it mean to you?

My retirement will be cruising to places I used to live, fish, and race sailboats along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts.

I may also do some deer hunting since the deer population is starting to be a threat to the farmers near where I grew up. Maybe turkey hunting also.

I may also fish for flounder and trout locally on a small Jon Boat.

And also if my body holds up, I'd like to continue doing my 3 mile weekly runs along with push ups and pull ups prior to the runs

Then working again on the farm I used to work on before leaving home.

The thing there is the equipment is quite a bit different than what I used in the 70's when I worked for my Uncle as a teenager.

Gone are the old Oliver Tractors. Now it all about John Deere 9220's. That is a monster of a tractor

And it has to be since now they are farming 2000 acres instead of the 1000 we were doing back in the day
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Old 01-06-2023, 14:17   #5
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Re: Retirement - what does it mean to you?

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Originally Posted by sailorboy1 View Post
It means you can go boating anytime you want.

... or cycling or climbing or kayaking or ....


There is always something to do.
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Old 01-06-2023, 14:21   #6
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Re: Retirement - what does it mean to you?

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... or cycling or climbing or kayaking or ....rum those are things mixed


There is always something to do.
Yes, but on a boating forum those get inserted nto the boating
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Old 01-06-2023, 14:22   #7
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Re: Retirement - what does it mean to you?

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... or cycling or climbing or kayaking or ....


There is always something to do.
Some of us though can do those things most any time we want also while working....including boating/sailing

I think it's all about your health.

If you are lucky enough with your health, you can work and play whether you are retired or not.

If you are into boating, fishing, and sailing though it helps to live in a good spot for that.

I have been lucky enough to live along the Gulf Coast near Pensacola, FL or along the Chesapeake Bay, and the North Carolina Coast most of my life.

Those areas are excellent for boating, sailing, and fishing.

The hunting though is better up here especially if your home is in the country
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Old 01-06-2023, 14:26   #8
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Re: Retirement - what does it mean to you?

I would guess that better than 50% of the posters on this forum are "retired"
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Old 01-06-2023, 14:29   #9
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Re: Retirement - what does it mean to you?

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I would guess that better than 50% of the posters on this forum are "retired"
And do those things while cruising and NOT working because we don't have to or want do.
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Old 01-06-2023, 14:36   #10
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Re: Retirement - what does it mean to you?

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Originally Posted by MicHughV View Post
I would guess that better than 50% of the posters on this forum are "retired"
Yes, and there is a lesson there especially for those of us still working.

Some of those that are retired and cruising spend just as much time on internet forums like CF as those of us still working.

That is a scary thought, and a sad thought

It means those folks that dreamed of cruising to far away places have nothing better to do than post on CF even though they are retired and can sail anywhere in the world.

But instead chose to sit at anchor, on a mooring, or at a marina and argue on an internet forum.

Is surfing the internet from a boat the new retirement plan?

Do folks dream of this like years before retiring?
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Old 01-06-2023, 14:38   #11
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Re: Retirement - what does it mean to you?

Retirement to me is the change in the driving force used to make decisions. Pre retirement, the driving force was making or saving money. I did my job to make Income, my hobbies were largely dependant on the cost of doing them.
Now my decisions on where to go is based more on desire and the weather. Cost is considered but is much farther down the list.
So now I sail, explore new locations and revisit favorites, staying as long as it interests me and weather allows. I enjoy my hobbies and explore new ones that pique my interest.
I enjoy meeting people and having the freedom to talk as long as we want, without the pressure of work schedule to get back to.
Now that said I'm still in my 40's so I do need tasks to keep my occupied. But finding things to fix or do is not really a problem for a full time cruiser!
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Old 01-06-2023, 14:53   #12
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Re: Retirement - what does it mean to you?

18 months into official retirement (but I was underemployed prior to that anyways)

What is retirement? For me, it's having no-one or no entity telling me what I have to do, where I have to be, and when. I am free to make my own plans... or to have no plans. It's great. I was made for this.

It's little to do with working; I'm still busy, but I only do what it pleases me to do. Of course there are the demands of family and friends. But those are usually pleasurable obligations. There's also the minimal management required to stay sheltered and fed.

We're not out cruising the world. Why, you ask? Because, though I might like to, my spouse/partner/best friend doesn't want to sell up and make the commitment required to cruise seriously. I choose... to keep my partner happy. But sailing a Great Lake is consolation.

We do some modest cruising and trailering/cruising, and I'm booked to crew for a longer "guy" cruise in July. We may yet do another charter in the Caribbean.

(We also cycle and hike and love daytripping in any guise)

Retirement is good.
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Old 01-06-2023, 15:06   #13
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Re: Retirement - what does it mean to you?

Retirement means to stop working.

retirement
noun
1.
the action or fact of leaving one's job and ceasing to work.
"a man nearing retirement"


I've been semi retired for the last 10 and a bit years. I cannot wait till i can afford to retire.

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Old 01-06-2023, 15:15   #14
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Re: Retirement - what does it mean to you?

Yes, and there is a lesson there especially for those of us still working.

Some of those that are retired and cruising spend just as much time on internet forums like CF as those of us still working.

That is a scary thought, and a sad thought


It means those folks that dreamed of cruising to far away places have nothing better to do than post on CF even though they are retired and can sail anywhere in the world.

But instead chose to sit at anchor, on a mooring, or at a marina and argue on an internet forum.

Is surfing the internet from a boat the new retirement plan?

Do folks dream of this like years before retiring?


Here's a thought....many posters, like myself, have been dere, dun dat, we still sail and cruise, but our glory days are likely in our stern wake.

So we come here to shoot the breeze, provide an opinion, argue, present alternate ways of doing things, provided advice, guidance, make some friends, present cruising destinations, etc, and so on.

Lemme see here, I have owned three sailboats, one of which I built, 4 fishing boats, and a variety of other watercraft.

I've lost track of all the places I've been. All told, I've been afloat for the better part of 35 years.

I adopted a "retirement early plan" when I was in my 20's, and have more or less maintained this status since then.
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Old 01-06-2023, 15:24   #15
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Re: Retirement - what does it mean to you?

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Originally Posted by Lucky Luke 1 View Post
Retirement means to stop working.

retirement
noun
1.
the action or fact of leaving one's job and ceasing to work.
"a man nearing retirement"
Yeah that's it but.........the word working means different things to different people.

Also, Joe Biden is 80 and still "working."

The highway/Interstate system here is being expanded.

Also the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is adding a 2nd set of tunnels and the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel is adding a new Tunnel.

The construction workers on these jobs are what I consider folks at work since I'm quite old school.

When I crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel at 6:30 AM on Tuesday morning about 40 construction workers were already in the entrance to the new tunnel in hard hats.

They may be there until 5-7 pm. each day.

I never considered my job as an electronics tech, computer tech, or manager of techs actual work.

I do think it is fascinating though how the engineers and workers construct these new overpasses, tunnels, and bridges though.

These guys work.

In other areas though, some of us get 5 weeks vacation, 7 sick days, plus any holiday with a name off.

This isn't considered work to some especially if you are in a climate controlled environment the whole time.

The construction workers on the bridges and highway improvements are out there regardless of the weather. It can be 2 degrees or 96 degrees and they are still there.

Its kinda like farming. Being on a tractor when it is super hot and dusty or hot plus dealing with the bugs and snakes
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