Really really depressing question for the older guys

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Boriqua

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Be forewarned .. Its an uncomfortable question, may not belong on a gun board, is way to long and is certainly depressing.

Is Longevity over rated?

I left the work force earlier than I would have liked at my wife's request. Shouldn't have agreed but there you go. I was up for a dream job in Missouri and had successfully been through 2 interviews when she asked that we stay here and I get off the treadmill. Alright, Spilled milk and all that.

I raised two girls, one from my seed and another that came to live with us when she was about 8. Both are more successful and more solid than I had dared dream. Immensely proud of them both. At this point I am a grandpa.

I had a fun career and exceeded any goals I had set for myself and surely exceeded any people had set for me. Cool ..

It was high pressure with crazy deadlines and stupid hours and .. I loved every minute of it.

Played Army man, played a ton of sports and loved competing in just about anything that has a competitive aspect to it. Shoot if someone challenged me to a dance off I would be at Arthur Murrays schooling up.

So while parts of the journey SUCKED .. a bunch of it was really awesome and on the balance sheet... Meh . not to bad. I'm satisfied.

So .. now what. So with the greatness of medical insurance, advanced medicine and Doctors working to keep you alive merely to line their pockets people live well into their 70's.

But ... why.

What is left to do? I chased after dreams and success mostly because I was told I couldn't have it. Now that I did it .. I am just bored.

I like to shoot, Ride my Motorcycle and play with some craft and art stuff but .. feels like killing time since the brass ring I was after I got already and there is nothing left to conquer. No people to shut up and nothing left to prove.

I live in an old people community. I hear about what parts they had replaced, what parts need replacement and when they are off to get those parts replaced. They shuffle around barely able to stand up straight. Most cant hear so conversations are shouted and I can hear them a block away.. Hmmmmmm

Wife is fresh out of surgery again

Word to the young .. don't retire .. die at work. Work gives you value. Working at something you enjoy gives you happiness. I will never understand people who don't want to work.

Short of that, Die in a flash doing something incredibly stupid. Die with your last words being .. hold my beer .. anything but dying from boredom.

I think I would have been more than fine leaving at 45- 50 tops. Anything else is just waiting it out but .. maybe I am missing something ..

So not really sure what all the hub bub is about living into your 70's so the question is .. if you are older and get up in the morning jazzed to be awake .. what does it for you?
 
it's funny that you post this.

I was discussing "retirement" over the weekend and came to the conclusion that when/if I retire, I will probably be bored out of my mind.

that said, it is inevitable, and when the time comes, I will do so, but will HAVE to find things to occupy my time and mind.

I will turn wrenches, shoot guns, and drink moonshine more when I am retired, because f*ck...what else is there at that point?!?
 
I am a bit younger than you but have been going to the same address for work since i was 18. I wasn't even old enough to buy Beer in AZ yet when i started my job in 1983. Luckily i worked hard, saved, lived within my means and was eventually able to buy the business. The last 20 years have been good and we have saved more, paid off any debt. Done pretty much anything that was on my Bucket list. My wife thinks we need to go to Europe and other places but i am not so sure about that. I am at the point where i am tired of the hassle and BS regulation of the Aerospace World, dealing with employees etc. I hate going to work everyday. I am ready to do something else. But not ready to just do nothing. I am in the same quandary, one can only travel so much. Living in a tin can on the road has no appeal, plus those giant motor homes have to be a stressful thing even to just get fuel. I love my wife but i doubt we could spend 24-7 together for long without something bad happening. I keep saying ill just get a simple job like a key cutter at Ace Hardware. But after owning my own business for a lot of years it might be tough to work for someone IDK. Almost every retired person i know faces the same dilemma. I watched my boss work to his mid 70's only to get Alzheimers and die in a care home. Never enjoyed any life away from work. Thats no good either. Truthfully we should be free from about 20-40 and start working at 40 till we die.... I know i don't want to live long enough to get to hospice or worse a care home. I really don't have an answer. I have about 2 years of projects and cleaning etc to accomplish after i retire beyond that IDK. I want to shoot more, thought about volunteering at the shooting range. But then i have to deal with people all day. I wanted to move to a small town and own a gun store, but the government hassle with that has ruined that dream. I really have more questions than answers. I will probably drink too much, work on my cars and guns beyond that idk.
 
I'm 61. I intend on retiring by 64, when I will get a part time job, and spend my off time shooting, sleeping, and jacking off. And eating. I also greatly enjoy a really good dump, and look forward to sitting on the toilet as much as I like.

Its the simple things.
 
well its a struggle i'm dealing with also, i'm in my early 70s, and had planned on owning and operating a biz i'd started decades ago, but having 4 daughters and son in laws that have no interest in biz, and over the years have tried to cultivate a few individuals who could helm the joint, and let me play the big time old guy, .............................and now here we are, fella i picked decided he just wants to work here, after 17 years, and this year alone we have hired up towards and over a hundy individuals, as employees, and whilst paying an excellent wage, with MINOR bennies, it amazes me how no one can be steady.

well with that said, i'd intended regardless to work late in life, just cause, my old friends who i hunted and fished all over the southwest and north central states all retired very early in life, an chose not to maintain a healthy life style and well, they now support mother natures growth of flowers.

My goal is to live forever and torment and agitate as many as i can, and if i have a little fun along the way so be it.
I've mentored a few individuals on how to succeed in a small biz, watched some build a success and others work toward failure, those that failed, did not make the sacrifices a biz owner must make to be successful, it takes hard word, time, and more time, and well time.

anyways, i just finished a work shop out back, have all the wood working tools, some metal working tools, lathe, mini mill, joints gonna be ac'd has a 8x20 so called office, to hide out in, and a stocked reefer for the essentials, like barley pop, munchies, water, and well what ever else one can need. My ole gal assists me in shop at times, her health allowing, (which is waning some) been together over 50 years, so, figure she'll hang a little while longer .

still have biz going, but am winding down, only three employees now, would do more but can't find anyone who wants to work, so, i'm done, figure after these next couple commerical TIs and a couple small residential remodels will be done by mid feb and adios biz.

will probably do some consulting, but even now not needing to do things in office or out on jobs because we are kinda slow(due to me being lax and not wanting to go to work at ALL).
I'm struggling with the nothing to do, however i did run out with Ynotaz today and we tested some bcg s for carbine rifles and carbines, trying to make them run, which we finally found success. but i can't shoot every day, make saw dust every day, ole gal is not much of a car person, so car traveling is out, i'm not a flyer, hate being in a tin can with idiots. oh i do it, but............magic elixor has to be available prior so i don't educate someone. I"m old not dead, and won't tolerate ignorance or some idiot mistreating me or mine, probably get my old ass kicked, but i'll get at least one good one in on the way down, besides shiat happens.

so Alex, its a rough road, i'm a gonna do some volunteering with the AZCDL, once i get more time, spend some quality time with some friends, and hope something comes along to fill what i believe may be a boring time in my life. This from a guy whos been on job from 4 am till lights out for over 4 decades, and enjoyed damm near every minute.
Happy bird day, may you push back from the table full of future.
Rj
 
In all seriousness, I intend to retire from my current job in another 4-5 yrs, and then pick up something new just before I turn 60.

Just can’t see myself not working.
 
I’m planning on retiring early.

I’ve done a ton of research and there are some studies out there that indicate going through retirement is like going through the stages of grief. People can go from elation, to depression to acceptance.

The most successful people in retirement have a plan before they retire. They know themselves very well and what they want and plan accordingly.

I enjoy my work, but to me there is much more to life. I get my fulfillment from outside of work more than from work itself.
 
I'm going to have to say that I see it diametrically opposite of most of the posters here.

I'm in my mid 70s and having a great time. Did my first retirement in 2005 and was asked to come out of retirement and do "just one more job" for Homeland Security later that year. Ended up doing 3 or 4 jobs a year for them until 3 years ago, then I did my second retirement.

Owned my own company, worked for virtually all the Silicon Valley big names at least once, loved what I did. I'd come into a company to do a job, get greeted by a high manager or the CEO, get handed a cup of coffee and thanks for coming. When the job was done, the same people would come and thank me for the work I did and shake my hand.

It was hard for me to retire as I loved what I was doing and mostly who I did it for. I got to pick which 80 to 100 hours a week I worked to make the business a success. I ended up with an incredible reputation among the people who did what I did and some even said I was a legend in the field, to which I always replied, "yeah, I'm a legend in my own mind." Made a ton of money, put it away for the most part and invested heavily. That all paid off and I've got a lot more money than I ever dreamed I'd have, so I can pretty much do whatever I want, buy whatever I want, go wherever I want.

But when it was time to quit, it was time. I'd planned it for a long time, all the way back to when I first started working in Engineering. Maybe since I planned it so long it ended up being what I wanted it to be.

I shoot twice a week minimum. I shoot with two different groups, one a shotgun/clay target group and one a handgun/rifle group. I reload once a week and read a lot of books, usually around 2 or 3 a week. This is easy because I took a speed reading course when I was in the 5th grade.

I go on vacation at least once a year for 2 weeks or more. Frequently a small fishing town in Hawaii where the pace is slow and there's absolutely no night life of any kind...my kind of place.

I don't and won't live in an old folks' community. No 55+ or whatever they call them as I refuse to sit around and listen to a bunch of old farts discussing their medical problems and how much they're suffering. I have no interest in negativism whatsoever, and I really can't stand moody people. If life is that bad, go do a one and a half gainer off the top of Weaver's Needle or some other place.

The people I shoot with, both groups, are retired also, and for the most part, they're just like me. They range in age from around 65 to 80. They also have no interest in being around old people bitching about their medical problems, they want to get out and do things and have a good time and by and large, they do.

Most of them and I agree that we're not going to any old folks homes, no assisted living places, nothing like that. When we get to where we can't do the things we want to do, then we'll pull the plug on ourselves. There are a ton of ways to do it quickly and painlessly and you just have to think for a few minutes to figure out what they are.

Until then, I'm having a great time and look forward to each and every day.
 
I've heard all these lamentations before. It's a common story. I think any transition in life that one has never been through before has a similar pattern where you think it is going to be one thing, but until you are in it, really have no clue how you will deal with it.

My situation is a bit different. I'm still quite young at 53. But unlike most of you, I didn't get to choose my "retirement". I became afflicted with heart disease and other maladies severe enough to no longer be employable and became technically disabled. I've been able to do some things on the side here and there. But then in April, I had the big rig pull a left in front of me and had a nasty wreck where I was ejected and broke my neck and back. I was lucky enough to not only survive, but to not be paralyzed. I spent 3 months in hospitals just learning how to walk again and be able to use a bathroom on my own.

I have recovered enough that I can get around and have a life. But no one would dare employ me anywhere because of liability, and that's if I could move quickly enough and had the stamina, which I don't. So this might explain to some of you why I post so much. Because my butt is often parked here in front of the computer.

So I often have plenty of time to sit here and ponder my somewhat limited future. It would be easy to whine about how unfair it is that I can no longer go hike the forests I love or be able to keep pace with younger more healthy workers. And I admit to at times having gotten in a depressed funk about stuff like that. But at some point, one simply can't continue to piss and moan about what is gone and never coming back. We independently-minded people tend to look down on folks who talk about learning to just accept your circumstances, and rightly so most of the time. But as I have experienced, that can be the first step in adapting to one's future and having one that isn't miserable.

I'm not claiming to have answers for anyone. As I said,...my "retirement" was not chosen by me. I didn't get a say in the matter. And in going through this, I've had to completely re-imagine what goals and endeavors I should have. I've had to learn to accept not being able to play the roles I have in the past. But it doesn't mean I have no role, or that I am less of a friend or less of a brother.

I guess my brush with death has also affected how I deal it all, since of course it could have been worse. I'm lucky just to still be here after all, not stuck in a wheelchair. And that colors how much I regret not being now who I was before.

If you take the effort to look for it, you will find other goals to care about. Other endeavors to toil at. Its essentially all about rediscovering your worth and value in your circle of family and friends and what makes you happy. And since that involves touchy feely deep introspection, we males often aren't good at that.

For myself, after I sue the rump off of the company responsible for nearly killing me, I should have enough jingle in my pocket to build a hell of a shop. I intend to learn how to be an amateur machinist so that I can set about being able to do all the gunsmithing I've always wanted to know how to do. And perhaps I can then spend the remainder of my days being that guy you see with the table at the gun shows who has all the cool stuff to offer. I can't think of many other ways to happily while away my remaining days.
 
lol, no trades here, hard to say Where the USA will be in 20, hell even 5 years,

i'm good with where i am, just struggling, and not the first time i have struggled in life, and probably not the last, the last will be a struggle with the reaper, cause hes gonna have to bring lotsa help to drag me to Hell.
Rj
 
I think a lot of it is in your genes. I'm 61, I know guys in their 70's (here) that can whip my ass all day long, and guys in their 50's that have one foot in the grave.
And sometimes it depends on how much abuse your body has endured. Some of us have had car accidents, operations, drug abuse, you name it, and are lucky to be functioning at all. The flip side of that are friends of mine that have led a mostly sheltered life and have had premium medical care since day one.
So I guess what I'm getting at is we are all different.
 
Alex, you need to sell your place here and go buy a nice little farm with a creek running through it in Kentucky. Set up your own shooting range, buy a small tractor, and enjoy the land.
 
One of the many reasons I bailed form Chiraq because there was the statistic back then, was the average male dies within 3 years of retirement. I said screw that, if I have to keep working, I’m going to get somewhere where I can have fun while doing it. I’ve done about everything you I do in this state -2, that is. I don’t ski and I don’t jump out of perfectly good airplanes.

I retired but haven’t beaten the 3-year odds yet, I’m looking to crush them.
 
I was in a forced retirement at 69. I find that I run out of time doing things that I used to do when working. That's because I got a puppy. This PITA is a commitment and a democrat! She was supposed to be purebred and easy to train. Dani is now 6 months old, 52 lbs and pure strong muscle. She's German Shepard with a fence jumping father. Stubborn as the day is long but she has made me get more active. We walk a mile twice a day. I have met neighbors in my subdivision that I haven't seen in 21 years. She wasn't my first choice for a hobby though. Now she runs my life more than a job cause she's here 24/7.
Good luck,
Thom
 
Boriqua said:
Be forewarned .. Its an uncomfortable question, may not belong on a gun board, is way to long and is certainly depressing.

Is Longevity over rated?
Click to expand...

Could you authorize the reproduction of this? One of the best pages I have read in a while. Great philosophical piece and full of insight in its brevity....
 
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