Arhh........ a kindred spirit - I knew that there was a reason why I like your writing style!![
Thank you and yes, I think we do have a kindred spirit.
hmm..... let me invite that you think differently :mundane matters in retirement such as finance should be left for your bank manager to contemplate. At your (young) age, you have earned the right not to be bothered by such trivia!!
Others have said similar things to me Don. The sad reality is that bank managers or financial managers are mainly in it to take what they can take. My best interest is not their best interest. Their best interest is to separate me from as much as they can so that they make commissions.
Yes I am cynical when it comes to who should manage my finances. I will not tell you I have done really well in that department but I will say that all the choices made have been my choices with no pressure from others. As in all things, some of my choices have been good; others really bad. I would rather the choices be mine and I would rather study trends and so on myself, speaking with friends and others whose council I value. I do understand that some financial counselors give great advice. I have not found those as yet.
Sounds that (like me) you are a closet "hole-digger". I like nothing better than getting into a front-end loader and dig-away. And, when I've finished my hole -it's sheer bliss to move it to another location. I'm waiting for "hole-moving" to become an Olympic event - I reckon that i'm already an elite athlete in that sport!
Not a hole digger.... but an Olympic weed whacker! I use the brush hog to push the woods back, to help cut trails, to make places where people can have access and enjoy the land. We are adding a front loader to the tractor this summer - scheduled for late August - and we are also adding a box blade.. Another childhood dream of mine was to operate heavy road construction machines. The plan is for Uwe and me to do some driveway work. The middle of the road is getting high is some places and needs to be spread. Maybe I will become a challenger to your hole digging title. I assure you I am not yet a novice with a front loader. I will make rookie mistakes but hope to always keep in mind the safety issues and not do stupid things that could hurt someone.
Entirely agree - the sad truth is that it's a race against time and health. My mantra is that it's far better to make the transition to retirement under my-own terms - rather than to be forced into the decision by an "event" (which could include a personal catastrophe, or heaven forbid a dire situation that befalls a loved-one) The single most important realization in the "pensive decade" is that the target years for planned enjoyment purpose are not related to longevity - but rather the binding constraint is healthy years!!
But enough of gratuitous philosophy - where's my back-hoe?
ho-ho-ho
Don
I have 2 friends who have suffered major strokes. One of the two is doing ok but is not the person he was.
The other is not ok. He now lives under supervised care 24/7. He does not have full function of his legs, his balance, and other body functions. He has no short term memory - only long term. When you see him and speak with him, he may remember things from long past but he will not remember anything from 5 minutes ago. In fact, he remembers nothing from the moment of the stroke 2-1/2 years ago. It depresses me to no end. He is my 2nd best friend from school days. My best friend and I hung out with this guy for countless hours and we stayed in touch all these years. This guy I am speaking of was an unbelievable master wood craftsman. The things he built were sought after by the most prestigious people on the East Coast. All gone now. He never mentions wood or wood working. Wood was his life and he built a successful business around fashioning items in wood. The pressure of the business is in part what led to this stroke. But he also had diabetes all his life.
As I look to this pensive decade, I fear that such could happen to me for my family has a history of heart problems and strokes. It is sobering to be in this pensive decade and any who are outside this decade cannot grasp the concepts about which we are speaking. Did we grasp it in our 40's or 50's? I know I did not.
How many friends have you lost Don? Too many is my answer.
One wise elderly Aunt said to me, "The most precious gift you are given is time. You are given a finite amount and you cannot get more. What will you do with the gift you have been given?" Want to talk pensive? She said this when in her 80's and I was a boy of maybe 10 or 12... want to talk about things that stick with you?
I often wonder what Aunt Lucy would say of what I have done with my life and my time....