On Retirement And Hats

[GHT]

Hey LeFonque:
It sounds like a day of confused emotions and overwhelming fear of the unknown future. I well remember that day and the days of doom and dropping dead any minute. They still come and go.
Not looking forward to the coming time is a very natural way of looking at it.
I found that if you just look forward to the next new day and are grateful for it, God helps you see in a brighter light those things that went unseen before. What was looses power over what is and what will be will take care of itself.
After awhile the fear and confusion turns to peace and appreciation for a whole new world that had been hidden away.
My prayers for that peace and the next new day for you will accompany mine.
You are not alone my friend.
Be well. Bowen

Such an articulate message, beautifully chosen words too and delivered in an unassuming manner, heartfelt and to the point. I echo every sentiment.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Acceptance of retirement when it comes depends on what you do for a living. Has it been a career or just a series of jobs? If you do what you do well & have been in your career field for a long time, most of your self-respect & the respect you get from your peers will come from that career; most of your friends end up coming from there too. When you retire that all goes away quickly in today's world. It's a lucky man who is in a career position to slow down, pick & chose the work he does but continue in his field & never fully retire. When I die I just don't want to leave behind any receivables due me or un-cashed checks.

 

[GHT]

When I die I just don't want to leave behind any receivables due me or un-cashed checks.

No point being the richest corpse in the cemetery, eh Jack?

 

[Hurricane Jack]

No point being the richest corpse in the cemetery, eh Jack?

There are reasons why highly educated & specialized people like neurosurgeons for example, rarely retire but just slow down instead. Wealth is probably not one of those reasons but being compensated well for what you do well is part of the respect you've earned.

PS: edited so as not to appear offensive to any one or career.

 

[LeFonque]

Hey LeFonque:
It sounds like a day of confused emotions and overwhelming fear of the unknown future. I well remember that day and the days of doom and dropping dead any minute. They still come and go.
Not looking forward to the coming time is a very natural way of looking at it.
I found that if you just look forward to the next new day and are grateful for it, God helps you see in a brighter light those things that went unseen before. What was looses power over what is and what will be will take care of itself.
After awhile the fear and confusion turns to peace and appreciation for a whole new world that had been hidden away.
My prayers for that peace and the next new day for you will accompany mine.
You are not alone my friend.
Be well. Bowen

Many thanks for your words, thoughts and prayers.

 

[GHT]

There are reasons why highly educated & specialized people like neurosurgeons for example, rarely retire but just slow down instead. Wealth is probably not one of those reasons but being compensated well for what you do well is part of the respect you've earned.

You have highlighted a very good point there. Thinking about two of our Prime Ministers from opposite sides of the political spectrum. Harold Wilson the left winger, and Margaret Thatcher from the right. Both held office for a prolonged period, both dropped out of politics when they stepped down from office and both suffered dementia in their final years. Compare that to Winston Churchill. Born into aristocracy, never needed a shekel or two, titled English father, wealthy American mother. Drank like a fish, smoked like a Russian battleship, in charge of the country throughout WW2, had two strokes, yet never stepped down from politics after holding high office. Still in politics at the time of his death at the age of 92.

It's an understatement to say I'm not medically trained, yet I do feel that there's some sort of correlation between doing that which stimulates you and dementia. I can't prove it of course, and I'm sure that others will have evidence to disprove that theory. All the same, I enjoy the interaction of work and the stimulus that it brings, and I would be lying if I said that the increase in earning power didn't make a difference.

 

[GHT]

Look what I have found:
BOSTON — New research boosts the "use it or lose it" theory about brainpower and staying mentally sharp. People who delay retirement have less risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia, a study of nearly half a million people in France found.
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/15/study-retirement-dementia/2517851/

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

@GHT:
Thank you, Sir.
You are a gentleman.
Bowen

 

[Dm101]

I said the exact same thing for years Dm101. Bills, living, DIVORCE, no end in sight.
Then my ticker started to flicker and made a liar out of me! I miss the people i worked with, not the management i worked for. They were happy i left, i was happy to go. Oddly, probably saved my life!
B

Wow, close call for ya.
Glad you made it through.

For me...the thought of having to keep on living and working and providing is more fear-inducing than the thought of death.
Death would be an easy way out at this point.
I'm a career US Contractor for the Army/Gov so no official "Retirement" plan besides the money we've saved up. I entertain the thought of going full gov service in a few years and retire off of that...but I don't know if I could survive the lack of adrenaline, travel, people and excitement.
It's the only real fun I have these days...

 

[Rmccamey]

I believe what you say is true, Jack. One thing that you touch on, and other comments in this thread, is Autonomy. People with a high level of education or specialization are often in occupations in which they have a great deal of autonomy...more control over what they do, when they do it, and how they do it. This tends to reduce stress as we humans like to be "in control" and like things stable. People in jobs with higher levels of autonomy are usually happier with their job and less stressed. My vision of retirement is just that. I intend to stay active and engaged with society but I intend to call the shots - when I work, where I work, how I work, what I work on - rather than being told all those things by someone else regardless of whether I am "working" for a paycheck in the traditional sense of a job, working to build my own business, or volunteering without pay.

Just my $0.02 worth. Thanks for listening

There are reasons why highly educated & specialized people like neurosurgeons for example, rarely retire but just slow down instead. Wealth is probably not one of those reasons but being compensated well for what you do well is part of the respect you've earned.

PS: edited so as not to appear offensive to any one or career.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

People in jobs with higher levels of autonomy are usually happier with their job and less stressed. My vision of retirement is just that. I intend to stay active and engaged with society but I intend to call the shots - when I work, where I work, how I work, what I work on - rather than being told all those things by someone else regardless of whether I am "working" for a paycheck in the traditional sense of a job, working to build my own business, or volunteering without pay.

I agree with what you are saying & you get it. I would only add that people with advanced educations & specialization often have a God given skill set that goes with that. They often will forgo retirement because of the gift they have been given & will continue in some capacity in their career field until such time that gift starts to slip away, usually if it involves manual dexterity like a surgeon. Whether they continue to collect full compensation or not is entirely up to them but they don't do it for the money, are entirely entitled to it & being well compensated is a sign of respect for the job they do & the skills they have.

And they earned the autonomy you speak of.

 

[hatophile]

I have considered the impact of retirement on my hat-wearing, and for that reason I have put a hiatus on acquiring any new hats. I do plan to continue wearing them of course, but probably won't need so many. My wife is retiring next year, and I l plan to follow in about 3-4 more years when I turn 65. We'd like to do some travelling and enjoy some free time we haven't had while working because there's just too little time. I hope to follow up on some genealogy work and maybe visit some of the areas my ancestors lived, both US and abroad, also do some historical touring, Revolutionary, Civil War and Old West sites.

 

[Rmccamey]

That sounds fantastic!

I have considered the impact of retirement on my hat-wearing, and for that reason I have put a hiatus on acquiring any new hats. I do plan to continue wearing them of course, but probably won't need so many. My wife is retiring next year, and I l plan to follow in about 3-4 more years when I turn 65. We'd like to do some travelling and enjoy some free time we haven't had while working because there's just too little time. I hope to follow up on some genealogy work and maybe visit some of the areas my ancestors lived, both US and abroad, also do some historical touring, Revolutionary, Civil War and Old West sites.

 

[hatophile]

That sounds fantastic!

Thanks Randy. Yeah, don't mind doing some rocking porch time, but travel would be fun too.

 

[GHT]

I'm a career US Contractor for the Army/Gov so no official "Retirement" plan besides the money we've saved up. I entertain the thought of going full gov service in a few years and retire off of that...but I don't know if I could survive the lack of adrenaline, travel, people and excitement.
It's the only real fun I have these days...

That more or less describes my feelings towards work, the interaction with others and so on. There's a real buzz when you've had what feels like, at the time a crap day, yet you still come out on top and go home smiling because, yet again, you have managed to keep all the balls in the air. I would add though that my social life is busy and I enjoy the company of many like minded friends, having such a social group allows me to take stock at work. Much as I enjoy the company of the people and the cut and thrust of it all, I still have something enjoyable to turn to when I can no longer keep all the balls in the air.

I believe what you say is true, Jack. One thing that you touch on, and other comments in this thread, is Autonomy. People with a high level of education or specialization are often in occupations in which they have a great deal of autonomy...more control over what they do, when they do it, and how they do it. This tends to reduce stress as we humans like to be "in control" and like things stable. People in jobs with higher levels of autonomy are usually happier with their job and less stressed. My vision of retirement is just that. I intend to stay active and engaged with society but I intend to call the shots - when I work, where I work, how I work, what I work on - rather than being told all those things by someone else regardless of whether I am "working" for a paycheck in the traditional sense of a job, working to build my own business, or volunteering without pay.

That's an astute observation, one that I hadn't considered before. Being the one in charge does bring it's own reward, the stimulus and the adrenaline of getting it right is a buzz like no other, perhaps that's why high flyers often get dementia because they need, even thrive, on excitement.

I agree with what you are saying & you get it. I would only add that people with advanced educations & specialization often have a God given skill set that goes with that. They often will forgo retirement because of the gift they have been given & will continue in some capacity in their career field until such time that gift starts to slip away, usually if it involves manual dexterity like a surgeon. Whether they continue to collect full compensation or not is entirely up to them but they don't do it for the money, are entirely entitled to it & being well compensated is a sign of respect for the job they do & the skills they have.

A perfect example of that would be my schoolfriend and her husband. The lady worked in medical management, she was recruited in the UK for a job in the US, where she met and married a surgeon. He was 25 years her senior. He was also a one star surgeon general, retired, now working as a civilian. He retired in his mid seventies and went on to play golf almost everyday. He passed away a couple of years ago aged about 92. His wife had no hobbies or charity work, her life was centred around work and her husband. She died within a year of his death, aged just 67, probably of a broken heart. They are the couple I often used to speak of in Savannah GA. How I miss both of them.

I have considered the impact of retirement on my hat-wearing, and for that reason I have put a hiatus on acquiring any new hats. I do plan to continue wearing them of course, but probably won't need so many. My wife is retiring next year, and I l plan to follow in about 3-4 more years when I turn 65. We'd like to do some travelling and enjoy some free time we haven't had while working because there's just too little time. I hope to follow up on some genealogy work and maybe visit some of the areas my ancestors lived, both US and abroad, also do some historical touring, Revolutionary, Civil War and Old West sites.

Well done on getting the hat addiction under control, (just teasing) I too have just enough hats to compliment whatever I'm wearing on the day, but I do have, er, 85 Aloha shirts, at least a dozen or so summer blazers and enough shoes to give Imelda Marcos a good run for her money. I need a walk in wardrobe.
For some reason I have always been fascinated by the American Civil War, dining out once with my schoolfriend and her husband, the ones that I mentioned above, I was speaking to Bob, the husband, and telling him of the places that we had seen, the books that I had read and asked for his take on that conflict. Bob had served in Korea so he had seen war at first hand. He simply said that it started because they were ready for it.
Jack, if you can find it you might be interested to read about The English civil war. Look up "The English Civil War," by Tobias Druitt.

 

[hatophile]

That more or less describes my feelings towards work, the interaction with others and so on. There's a real buzz when you've had what feels like, at the time a crap day, yet you still come out on top and go home smiling because, yet again, you have managed to keep all the balls in the air. I would add though that my social life is busy and I enjoy the company of many like minded friends, having such a social group allows me to take stock at work. Much as I enjoy the company of the people and the cut and thrust of it all, I still have something enjoyable to turn to when I can no longer keep all the balls in the air.

That's an astute observation, one that I hadn't considered before. Being the one in charge does bring it's own reward, the stimulus and the adrenaline of getting it right is a buzz like no other, perhaps that's why high flyers often get dementia because they need, even thrive, on excitement.

A perfect example of that would be my schoolfriend and her husband. The lady worked in medical management, she was recruited in the UK for a job in the US, where she met and married a surgeon. He was 25 years her senior. He was also a one star surgeon general, retired, now working as a civilian. He retired in his mid seventies and went on to play golf almost everyday. He passed away a couple of years ago aged about 92. His wife had no hobbies or charity work, her life was centred around work and her husband. She died within a year of his death, aged just 67, probably of a broken heart. They are the couple I often used to speak of in Savannah GA. How I miss both of them.

Well done on getting the hat addiction under control, (just teasing) I too have just enough hats to compliment whatever I'm wearing on the day, but I do have, er, 85 Aloha shirts, at least a dozen or so summer blazers and enough shoes to give Imelda Marcos a good run for her money. I need a walk in wardrobe.
For some reason I have always been fascinated by the American Civil War, dining out once with my schoolfriend and her husband, the ones that I mentioned above, I was speaking to Bob, the husband, and telling him of the places that we had seen, the books that I had read and asked for his take on that conflict. Bob had served in Korea so he had seen war at first hand. He simply said that it started because they were ready for it.
Jack, if you can find it you might be interested to read about The English civil war. Look up "The English Civil War," by Tobias Druitt.

GHT your Aloha and hat wardrobe are to be envied, for sure. You always look very spiffy.
I have a great interest in British history as well, being a mixture of Welsh,Irish, Scots-Irish, Scottish, and English on my Dad's side. The book about the English Civil War looks like a good bet, some of my Dad's ancestors came to the colonies afterward because they were on the wrong side of that one (being Cavaliers instead of Roundheads).

 

[belfastboy]

I have considered the impact of retirement on my hat-wearing, and for that reason I have put a hiatus on acquiring any new hats. I do plan to continue wearing them of course, but probably won't need so many. My wife is retiring next year, and I l plan to follow in about 3-4 more years when I turn 65. We'd like to do some travelling and enjoy some free time we haven't had while working because there's just too little time. I hope to follow up on some genealogy work and maybe visit some of the areas my ancestors lived, both US and abroad, also do some historical touring, Revolutionary, Civil War and Old West sites.

For the past 5 years my wife and I have engaged in what we are calling....living history tours. We have retraced the steps of Lewis & Clark (walking, biking and mostly by motorhome), studied the history of the Plains Indian tribes/important battle grounds and visited most of the Ancient Pueblan sites. We love to travel and including an historical aspect adds to the richness of it. But now we have completed our list and have to come up with new ideas. I am campaigning to bring it into modern times and just do craft brewery tours.

 

[M Brown]

I have considered the impact of retirement on my hat-wearing, and for that reason I have put a hiatus on acquiring any new hats. I do plan to continue wearing them of course, but probably won't need so many.

I have several more than I actually need and tend to wear one, in particular, much more than the others combined. Retirement came my way 4 years ago last month and my choice of hat is now what sits most comfortable on my head and does the best job of shading the sun. Fashion doesn't register high on the hat meter anymore.

 

[earl]

Don't think my mind is slipping into dottage yet. While no neurosurgeon, am fairly highly educated and worked in a health field, a very stressful one, community mental health. Between the stress and the fact I had largely lost interest in my work, it was time to pull the plug at 65. Don't miss what passed for social stimulation at work. Picked up a new hobby at retirement and continue with my old hobbies. While staying stimulated perhaps helps prevent mental decline, being overstimulated, (i.e. over-stressed), can add to mental decline.

 

[Hats Matter]

For what it is worth (and it may be worth very little) I retired six and a half years ago and my only regret is that I did not retire earlier. I had a career in the public sector and was able to earn and receive something that does not seem to exist anymore. It is known as a pension and it is very rare these days. Many people will probably need to Google it to learn what it is. Anyway.............I worked at a fairly high level and earned a good salary and pension.

I have had health issues also which makes me glad that I did not wait too long to retire. I am at an age where I see people I worked with pass away in the natural course of life's events. Three have passed away this year including one who passed away about a month ago.

Getting back to hats, I still wear a hat every single day and have a collection of about 25. I was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma in 2001 so I need to wear a head covering. I rotate through them based on the weather and what I am wearing on a particular day. I am a clothes horse so it is a bit of fun.