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Is Retirement Boring?

Hawkeye10

Buttermilk Man
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Been retired since last June. I am only 54 but health is not great, partly my fault partly not, but pops died at 47 so at least I did better than him.

Bored? Me? No way. I have always been inquisitive, been a generalist rather than a specialist on purpose, decided at 22 that I would rather be a full time dad instead of having a career even if that meant I was poor, which it turns out was not required. I do what I want when I want and say what I want when i want and boy do I love that. I argue, see friends, garden, write, do chores, do a lot of awesome cooking, give young people I know who respect me advice when they come calling. I throw the best parties now. The sex is fabulous with viagra.

What is not to like?

I seriously dont get all of the bitching about this.
 
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I'm terrified of retirement. I get bored on a 3 day weekend.
 
I just started having that option by getting my first SS retirement payment yesterday at the ripe old age of 62. Being self employed (as a handyman) I can now work as much (or as little) as I wish. As long as I can I will contimue to work (most of my pay is off the books anyway) but I wil be more selective in which jobs that I accept (bid on).

I generally worked 5 to 7 days per week and about 3 to 8 hours per day. I doubt that I will ever stop working a long as I am physically able to - everybody that I know needs something done and generally calls me to do it. I plan to let others do the crawling under hpuses/trailers but will continue to keep my regualt custmers homes, farms and businesses in good repair ottherwise.

I have no desire to remain idle or change my lifestyle but accept the fact that I cannot maintain the pace of physiical labor that I once could. A man has to know his limitations, but not surrender to age needlessly. ;)
 
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I'm terrified of retirement. I get bored on a 3 day weekend.

It can REALLY suck. I knew this couple, he had a great blue collar Commonwealth Edison job all his life, union I think, she a housewife. Had figured for 20 years that retirement meant a permanent vacation in Arizona, party time! Sold the home they brought their kids up in, the place in Palatine, and moved to a new smallish flimsy two bedroom in a sort of retirement suburb of Lake Havasu City. And neither of them cared much for being on the water but that was great for the people who wanted to drop by. But all the family was back in chicago and could not come much, and few others did either ( I did for 4 days, they showed me a greet time, said that If I was older they would have taken me to Vegas but since I was traveling the country myself on Amtrak at 15 they thought maybe not). So what they did was drink. Once in awhile he would make some mix tapes for people who he cared about who were not near him from his several thousand copy record collection (I have two in my car right now), but mostly they drank.

Within 7 years of retirement they were both dead, and they had been in good health when they went out there.

Sad but true.

But then again they were stupid, they would not admit that they had made a mistake even when family and friends could see it clearly, no begging for them to come back to Chicago worked.
 
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Why did you mention your Erectile Dysfunction? Why did you think that was something we needed to know about? Seriously, it adds nothing to the thread of meaning and is really just a too much information kind of thing.
 
Why did you mention your Erectile Dysfunction? Why did you think that was something we needed to know about? Seriously, it adds nothing to the thread of meaning and is really just a too much information kind of thing.

Hits too close to home does it?
 
Hits too close to home does it?

Lol, no. It's just a weird detail to add to a discussion about retirement. Oh and btw, I have this medical condition that I'm going to mention for no reason. It's like how gay people sometimes introduce themselves where they just announce they're gay for no reason. Oh, well, I didn't need to know that, but thank you for telling me. :/
 
Why did you mention your Erectile Dysfunction? Why did you think that was something we needed to know about? Seriously, it adds nothing to the thread of meaning and is really just a too much information kind of thing.

It was a marvel of modern technology issue. I read not three weeks ago that pills have massively increased the longevity of the average American's sex life, it is a really big deal to have both the time and the ability to have sex, the only other things needed are desire and a willing partner, and I have got those.

You might think this gross to talk about in polite company, I get that vibe from you, but I am Zen, we talk about everything, because we refuse to deny reality its due.

AND I no longer hold my tongue for anyone.
 
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It was a marvel of modern technology issue. I read not three weeks ago that pills have massively increased the longevity of the average American's sex life, it is a really big deal to have both the time and the ability to have sex. You might think it gross to talk about in polite company, I get that vibe from you, but I am Zen, we talk about everything, because we refuse to deny reality its due.

It's not gross talk, it's just weird to bring up. Again, it's like the gay guy that has tell you he's gay when you meet him. It's just freaking weird. Weird is not gross, it's just well odd, unusual, and many times unwelcome.

I mean really, when do guys sit around talking about their medical issues? WTF is that ****?
 
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Been retired since last June. I am only 54 but health is not great, partly my fault partly not, but pops died at 47 so at least I did better than him.

Bored? Me? No way. I have always been inquisitive, been a generalist rather than a specialist on purpose, decided at 22 that I would rather be a full time dad instead of having a career even if that meant I was poor, which it turns out was not required. I do what I want when I want and say what I want when i want and boy do I love that. I argue, see friends, garden, write, do chores, do a lot of awesome cooking, give young people I know who respect me advice when they come calling. I throw the best parties now. The sex is fabulous with viagra.

What is not to like?

I seriously dont get all of the bitching about this.

I'm a few months younger than you. I remember being on watch on the USS Ranger back on Nov. 1st 1983 at 0900 (and the fact that I remember that date and time should tell you that something big went down). I was in the console booth in #2 Main Machinery Room (which served as the "nuclear reactor" in Star Trek IV), and my topwatch - a weasly little guy we called "wee willie White" - had his chin on hands on his desk. He said, "This is the most boring f**king watch I've ever stood!" A few minutes later the comms on the X2JV went:

0910 - "major fuel oil leak in #4 Main Machinery Room"
0911 - "class bravo fire #4 Main Machinery Room"
0912 - "class bravo fire out of control #4 Main Machinery Room, abandoning the space!"
0913 - "General Quarters, all hands to battle stations"

We went dead in the water for most of the rest of the day (we were in the Indian Ocean during the middle of the Cold War). Ten men died.

This is the story I've told almost every sailor who worked for me since that day and also to my two sons...so that none of them would EVER gripe about being bored. Boredom is GOOD! Bore me to tears, please!

But being retired, the most important thing is to stay busy.
 
It's not gross talk, it's just weird to bring up. Again, it's like the gay guy that has tell you he's gay when you meet him. It's just freaking weird. Weird is not gross, it's just well odd, unusual, and many times unwelcome.

I mean really, when do guys sit around talking about their medical issues? WTF is that ****?

Paraphrasing Ann Landers: If sex is not a big deal in your life then you must be doing it wrong. Being able to practice sex longer is one of the major quality of life things we have that is better than the generations that have come before. I understand that we are not to talk about it, but I am assuring you that this is a big freaking deal, worthy of talking about.
 
Paraphrasing Ann Landers: If sex is not a big deal in your life then you must be doing it wrong. Being able to practice sex longer is one of the major quality of life things we have that is better than the generations that have come before. I understand that we are not to talk about it, but I am assuring you that this is a big freaking deal, worthy of talking about.

You do realize why they call it ED, right? Besides if you're low on testosterone or something why not just take that? It's not like Viagra is all that cheep or actually resolves the problem. Anyway, it's still weird to bring up and I'm tired of talking about it. It was meant as a passing comment, but you couldn't take it, so meh.
 
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You do realize why they call it ED, right? Besides if you're low on testosterone or something why not just take that? Anyway, it's still weird to bring up and I'm tired of talking about it. It was meant as a passing comment, but you couldn't take it, so meh.

You do realize dont you that as with prostate cancer if you live long enough you will almost certainly get it, that it is just a matter of when?

I am amazed that you are surprised that guys with time on their hands would would freely talk about either their medical conditions or the great sex they are having. In the first case once you get to a certain age there is damn little worth the bother of hiding, and in the second when did men ever not talk about that?
 
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You do realize dont you that as with prostate cancer if you live long enough you will almost certainly get it, that it is just a matter of when?

Lol, no. Prostate cancer doesn't eventually strike people. That is not how cancer works. Regardless, if your ED is caused by low testosterone then taking testosterone replacement will resolve the issue much better than Viagra can. It will also make it easier for you to lose weight and get back in shape, which again, Viagra doesn't do. You can also take estrogen blockers(older men have higher levels of estrogen so getting rid of it helps) that will increase your testosterone levels as it stops your produced testosterone from being destroyed. Science is fun, so use it and stop taking temporary boner pills, but instead take something that restores your body. Just know that it increases your testosterone levels by a lot.

I am amazed that you are surprised that guys with time on their hands would would freely talk about either their medical conditions or the great sex they are having. In the first case once you get to a certain age there is damn little worth the bother of hiding, and in the second when did men ever not talk about that?

I'm actually amazed that other men want to hear about their sex lives. :shrug:
 
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Been retired since last June. I am only 54 but health is not great, partly my fault partly not, but pops died at 47 so at least I did better than him.

Bored? Me? No way. I have always been inquisitive, been a generalist rather than a specialist on purpose, decided at 22 that I would rather be a full time dad instead of having a career even if that meant I was poor, which it turns out was not required. I do what I want when I want and say what I want when i want and boy do I love that. I argue, see friends, garden, write, do chores, do a lot of awesome cooking, give young people I know who respect me advice when they come calling. I throw the best parties now. The sex is fabulous with viagra.

What is not to like?

I seriously dont get all of the bitching about this.

I'd go bat**** insane if I retired in 4 years, I have to be doing something productive. My dad still works 4-6 months a year and he'll be 74 in September. My gramps drove Hertz/Avis rental cars for 29 years after retiring at 65 logging over a million miles with them. He also went around and took pictures for insurance agents. He was only retired, retired for about 5 years of his life. Seriously I will probably never quit working, I'm thinking about cutting back sometime in my late 60's.
 
I'd go bat**** insane if I retired in 4 years, I have to be doing something productive. My dad still works 4-6 months a year and he'll be 74 in September. My gramps drove Hertz/Avis rental cars for 29 years after retiring at 65 logging over a million miles with them. He also went around and took pictures for insurance agents. He was only retired, retired for about 5 years of his life. Seriously I will probably never quit working, I'm thinking about cutting back sometime in my late 60's.

I do know guys like you. Gotta respect that. And they seem to be happy.

Not. For. Me. Thanxs.
 
I got quite a while before I could ever think of retiring, atleast 35 years. But I could very well see it as boring, I like my days off, but more than 3 days off a week and I start losing my mind without something to do.

Lately I have been practicing more and more welding, I used to have other people do it for me, then I got tired of asking coworkers to weld broken parts for me. I can tell you welding is a time killer, you start small, then as soon as you realize you can make nearly anything, you will spend time making everything you can make just because you now can. It starts with bbq's, then works up to high temp furnaces, grill guards, dune buggy frames, classic car restoration etc.
 
Been retired since last June. I am only 54 but health is not great, partly my fault partly not, but pops died at 47 so at least I did better than him.

Bored? Me? No way. I have always been inquisitive, been a generalist rather than a specialist on purpose, decided at 22 that I would rather be a full time dad instead of having a career even if that meant I was poor, which it turns out was not required. I do what I want when I want and say what I want when i want and boy do I love that. I argue, see friends, garden, write, do chores, do a lot of awesome cooking, give young people I know who respect me advice when they come calling. I throw the best parties now. The sex is fabulous with viagra.

What is not to like?

I seriously dont get all of the bitching about this.


As long as I have the funds to keep life interesting and not become a hermit, retirement is all great.
 
As long as I have the funds to keep life interesting and not become a hermit, retirement is all great.

Money is certainly a prime mover. People who tell me that they can live just as well poor either dont know what they are doing or they are lying.

I dont need to do $2,000 PP a week vacations with the little woman though those are nice and we will be able to do that a lot after the bankruptcy, but I need to go out once in while to good restaurants, shows, sports, take overnights in Portland,,,,that sort of stuff to be enjoying at the highest level. My yard needs to be pristine as well, my pond in great shape, I need lots of interesting gardens, my patio/outdoor kitchen in proper working order.

I am a simple guy.
 
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Money is certainly a prime mover. People who tell me that they can live just as well poor either dont know what they are doing or they are lying.

I dont need to do $2,000 a week vacations with the little woman though those are nice and we will be able to do that a lot after the bankruptcy, but I need to go out once in while to good restaurants, shows, sports, take overnights in Portland,,,,that sort of stuff to be enjoying at the highest level. My yard needs to be pristine as well, my pond in great shape, lot of gardens, my patio/outdoor kitchen in proper working order.


It's difficult living poor but not impossible. I'd rather work, personally, because sitting in an apartment all day is boring.
 
It's difficult living poor but not impossible. I'd rather work, personally, because sitting in an apartment all day is boring.

I get around, this seems to wear thin around the mid 40's. Now I am creative, I can make do IF I HAVE TOO, but having money is infinitely better than having no money.
 
Is Retirement Boring?

my vote is no. hope that i make it that long, and that i have enough spunk left to enjoy it. i'm an only child, so i can generally find things to do.
 
my vote is no. hope that i make it that long, and that i have enough spunk left to enjoy it. i'm an only child, so i can generally find things to do.

Good for you, you sound like me and while I had 2 sibs one died early and one I dont have a lot to do with so like you keeping myself occupied has NEVER been a problem. I dont think I am yet ready to make the argument but I suspect that retirement is better for introverts. I say bout time we beat the extroverts WITH CONVICTION (a basketball term).
 
Good for you, you sound like me and while I had 2 sibs one died early and one I dont have a lot to do with so like you keeping myself occupied has NEVER been a problem. I dont think I am yet ready to make the argument but I suspect that retirement is better for introverts. I say bout time we beat the extroverts WITH CONVICTION (a basketball term).

yeah, i'm almost certainly an introvert. i do fairly well in an extroverted world, but it takes a lot of energy.
 
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