Calling all 'Baby Boomers', A change in life

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Stradageek
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Re: Calling all 'Baby Boomers', A change in life

Post by Stradageek »

Retired at 63, not quite as early as you other lucky guys.

Read a book that said you don't need a plan because you can change your plans every day - best advice ever.

Made some plans, all fell through especially when COVID hit. Then the unexpected started. Best friend died leaving a wife in need of much support, daughter's husband walked out on her, son produced a grandson.

Sat down at a pub with my wife and wrote a priority list:

1. The children/grandchild
2. Bereaved friends wife
3. Wider family
4. Youth clubs and church activities

Now, whenever it gets quiet, something seems to pop up and if not there's lots of time for cycling and reading (all non fiction, at least two books per week - second hand bookshops rule!).

As for the next few weeks - absolutely no idea :D but helping others will always be a priority and is definitely the most rewarding thing you can do.
Vorpal
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Re: Calling all 'Baby Boomers', A change in life

Post by Vorpal »

Psamathe wrote: 22 Sep 2021, 10:45pm

My main Wikipedia contributions are for articles about places I've travelled to, many of which seem poorly covered (stub pages) so I try and make-up for the shortcomings. Wikimedia Commons contributions again mostly places I've travelled to that are poorly covered plus some wildlife images.
I do the same about English entries for Norwegian places; especially small places, which tend to have good articles in Norwegian, and no or limited information in English.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
bikepacker
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Re: Calling all 'Baby Boomers', A change in life

Post by bikepacker »

The advice I would give to AlanD based on my experience and course of action is: The day you retire draw a line under everything you did in your work life and take up something completely new or something you always had a desire to do.

Those who I have come across who are most miserable in retirement seem to be the ones who in some way wish to keep associating with their past working lives. Those who wholeheartedly take up something different appear to enjoy retirement the most.

As a lad and through into my early 20s I loved to cycle. Working life curtailed most of my cycling so retirement gave me the opportunity and leisure time to once again enjoy being on a bike. After 22 years of retirement I still enjoy every ride and aim for a target of 10,000 miles a year.
There is your way. There is my way. But there is no "the way".
francovendee
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Re: Calling all 'Baby Boomers', A change in life

Post by francovendee »

As my Dad died at 48 I always said I'd retire as early as possible. I was 60 when I made it and 18 years on I know I made the right decision.
It has allowed me to spend more time on my interests and I'd recommend anyone to do it. Work takes up far too much time and sadly people don't plan for it untill too late.
bikepacker
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Re: Calling all 'Baby Boomers', A change in life

Post by bikepacker »

francovendee wrote: 23 Sep 2021, 12:28pm As my Dad died at 48 I always said I'd retire as early as possible. I was 60 when I made it and 18 years on I know I made the right decision.
It has allowed me to spend more time on my interests and I'd recommend anyone to do it. Work takes up far too much time and sadly people don't plan for it untill too late.
The reason I made a decision to work towards and retire at 55 was because both my father and father in law both died within a year of retiring at 65. My reasoning if that was going to happen to me I wanted 10 years to enjoy myself away from any work. Fortunately I am still here at 78.
There is your way. There is my way. But there is no "the way".
Jdsk
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Re: Calling all 'Baby Boomers', A change in life

Post by Jdsk »

bikepacker wrote: 23 Sep 2021, 11:34am The advice I would give to AlanD based on my experience and course of action is: The day you retire draw a line under everything you did in your work life and take up something completely new or something you always had a desire to do.

Those who I have come across who are most miserable in retirement seem to be the ones who in some way wish to keep associating with their past working lives. Those who wholeheartedly take up something different appear to enjoy retirement the most.
It's a decision that should be made explicitly rather than avoided or delayed. Hanging on too long is certainly a risk. But, as upthread, I don't think that a clean break is right for everyone.

Jonathan
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Mick F
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Re: Calling all 'Baby Boomers', A change in life

Post by Mick F »

Time has an arrow.
It only points one way.

If you could go out from Earth at the speed of light, then come back at the speed of light .......... time on Earth would have carried on for years, but you would have spent a few seconds.
Come home, and for you, you've gone forward in time.
You cannot go backwards. You cannot wind back the clock.
What's gone, is gone.

However ...............
We are in an expanding universe. Eventually, after eons, it may collapse, and time's arrow will point the other way.

............ not that we will be resurrected. :wink:
Mick F. Cornwall
Jdsk
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Re: Calling all 'Baby Boomers', A change in life

Post by Jdsk »

AlanD wrote: 22 Sep 2021, 7:35pmHave I missed anything?
You've got several responses on helping other people.

And a few on editing Wikipedia.

How about online *bridge: would you like to play a few hands to try that?

Jonathan

*Other games are available. Apparently.
rjb
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Re: Calling all 'Baby Boomers', A change in life

Post by rjb »

Mick F has taken the bridges theme at the moment so you would need something new. :lol:
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
thirdcrank
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Re: Calling all 'Baby Boomers', A change in life

Post by thirdcrank »

You never know what will happen. On the matter of a clean break from work, that's exactly what I went for. In those days, all the big police stations round here had a bar, in legal terms a "police canteen" where the chief constable was the equivalent of the licensing authority. Some retired officers could never stay away. Not for me. Clean break.

To read some of my stuff on here I'm still stuck in "the Job" but that wasn't my intention. Some anonymous backstabber outed me as a retired policeman and taunted me into commenting and the rest is history, but I know there are a number of serving and retired police on here who just keep it quiet, as I would have done.

viewtopic.php?p=14472#p14472

That thread shows how much more fun the old, unmoderated forum gave us all.
Jdsk
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Re: Calling all 'Baby Boomers', A change in life

Post by Jdsk »

thirdcrank wrote: 23 Sep 2021, 2:49pmTo read some of my stuff on here I'm still stuck in "the Job" but that wasn't my intention. Some anonymous backstabber outed me as a retired policeman and taunted me into commenting and the rest is history, but I know there are a number of serving and retired police on here who just keep it quiet, as I would have done.
And that would have been our loss. More of the same, please.

Jonathan
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Mick F
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Re: Calling all 'Baby Boomers', A change in life

Post by Mick F »

Good old Gar eh? :wink:
I wonder where he is now.

Some folk wouldn't have a clue about the old days on here.
Said it before, I think the only survivors on here, are me, R2 and TC.
Willing to be corrected.
Mick F. Cornwall
millimole
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Re: Calling all 'Baby Boomers', A change in life

Post by millimole »

I was born in 1955 and was forced into retirement by ill health 11 years ago from a professional career in the NHS.
I felt as though the backbone of my identity had been stripped away from me as I stepped away from my profession. I did find that very hard to deal with.
I didn't maintain contact with work or ex-collegues and I don't think doing so would have been helpful for me.
My 'saviour' was volunteering - 8 volunteer on the local canal as a lock keeper. Initially this was one day a week, but as time's gone on its become much more varied.
I also have two allotment plots and a number of other pastimes I dip into.
I'm not a joiner - so U3A and such like have little appeal to me.
Stopping cycling for commuting really knocked my fitness levels down - something I've not recovered, and I cycle a lot less now than I have since, maybe, my 30s.
Leicester; Riding my Hetchins since 1971; Day rides on my Dawes; Going to the shops on a Decathlon Hoprider
pwa
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Re: Calling all 'Baby Boomers', A change in life

Post by pwa »

I'm only 60 and have a few more years until retirement, so I have no direct experience of it. But I remember a retired man I used to know a bit, who was very active and seemed to have things going on nearly every day. He was a member of the Ramblers and that gave him two sociable activities per week, and he was a keen member of a local sailing club. I think he had a load of other things going on as well, so it was actually quite hard to find a time when he was at home. He was in his late 70s when I knew him and he seemed full of life. I could be wrong, but I think it likely that his non-work interests were up and running before he retired, so that retirement simply gave him space to expand on them.
Oldjohnw
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Re: Calling all 'Baby Boomers', A change in life

Post by Oldjohnw »

I retired 10 years ago at 62. I was, if I may say, passionate about my work which was prison reform. It was a relatively small world and before I left I had a number of approaches to join other organisations as a consultant, Charity board member, on the ‘conference circuit’.

I did the consultancy and conference stuff for about three years then found my coal face experience was getting a bit remote so I left. I kept up board work until illness last year.

As for other interests I did more of the interests I already had: music, long distance and hill walking, fly fishing, and I reconnected more actively with cycling and took up touring. I have never been bored and always had as much or as little company as I wanted. I am not a joiner and don’t need masses of company.

I have now moved 300+ miles south and have, at 72, a whole new life to carve out. The walking is good if more modest, the cycling seems excellent. The fly fishing much more difficult after fishing in the River Tweed or Scottish lochs. The music is beyond excellent.

Financially I did prepare for retirement. We lived on pension level income for a couple of years, downsized and renewed our car (then again when my wife retired 5 years ago). I recommend that approach unless income is not a challenge.

Glad we were careful as a move to the edge of the Cotswolds to be nearer family doesn’t come cheap.
John
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