oldfool

At age 41 I had no debt, no wife and all the toys I had were becoming a burden. My career, which I had wanted very much (flying), had become more and more micro managed and adversarial. I was going to work to make more money so I could buy more toys then going to work to make more money to buy more toys. Toy maintenance consumed my days off. At it's longest life is short so I decide to walk and it wasn't long before an excuse presented itself. According to the American work ethic my life went downhill from there. I got rid of everything but my sailboat, my 1966 pickup and one bicycle. I went sailing while I still looked good naked, worked on a horse ranch, learned to shoe horses, set up satellite tv, fish, got a new wife (we are still together), lived in a foreign country, drive a long haul truck and more. So now here I am by all American standards a failure. I'm pushing 69 have not much money, no insurance and no chance that I will ever be allowed to fly the space shuttle. Friends say "but you have great memories" and that is true. Better than that I have satiated those dreams and fantasies that I am physically and mentally unable to do now. I am so glad I did not wait. I have children and grandchildren that are more or less normal that I love very much. I have been debt free for over 30 years, have good health (can still ride a bicycle as primary transportation and still climb a tree) and have more to do than there are hours in a day to do them.

I ask myself each day "If I knew I were going to die tomorrow would I do what I am doing today?". Most of the time the answer is yes and life is good but sometimes the answer is no and that has to be worked out. It ain't always a simple answer. I wouldn't trade places with anyone.

Let's see now what was I going to do today. Oh yeah, the Halloween decorations and the '76 Schwinn I'm working on. Then there is the suspension fork I'm fitting to my daily rider and fenders of my grocery getter and the 24" cruiser and trike (I almost forgot the trike) and the tree house. Then there is the matter of lunch and a nap. And cocktail hour(s) mustn't forget that. So much to do and so little time.

Pockets

I retired again at 60. Retired from the USN in 86 and then from state service in Dec 06. I don't know how I ever had time to go to work.

crtreedude 

I don't work for anyone - does that count as retired? I do own a couple of companies which keeps me very busy but I enjoy it. I figure it isn't work if it doesn't feel like work.

Regarding being offered early retirement - take the money and run.

cranky old dude

Where I work, the company is compasionately preparing us for retirement
by cutting our pay and our benefits (all of them), annually. By the time I'm able
to retire to a retirement job (not much choice anymore, gonna have to work
till they plant me), my little annuity plus a min wage job will be equilivent to
a pay raise.

Digital Gee

Does anyone know whether Walmart offers benefits to the folks who work p/t as greeters? I hear so much hype on both sides, I'm not sure what is true.