Cycling UK Forum

Years ago I witnessed a succession of herds ([i]shepherds[i]) who retired. Moved from their remote environment to live in a housing scheme and all died within a couple of years. Their mistake IMO their whole life had revolved around their work and they were now like fish out of water.
At that point I was determined it wasn’t going to happen to me.
My plan: I built a house in a small village with my nearest neighbour at 100yds I don’t have to live cooped up. I take exercise other than Cycling. I’ve nearly an acre of ground where I can keep chickens, build what like, grow what I like and just generally potter around with projects.
I built my house in a manner if either of us become unable to climb stairs it’s possible to live entirely downstairs. There’s a bus stop within 400yds in case driving becomes impossible. So I’ve future proofed as far as I could to avoid the stress of having to move later in life.
A guy I play squash with is a year older than me. When he retired, from a tile factory, he climbed the walls and returned to work in less than two months. Since my retirement I’ve only ever set foot on a farm to walk or lift a coupie ewe ive spotted from the roadside.

I'm still trying to keep my brain alive until I retire.

Paulatic wrote:Years ago I witnessed a succession of herds ([i]shepherds[i]) who retired. Moved from their remote environment to live in a housing scheme and all died within a couple of years. Their mistake IMO their whole life had revolved around their work and they were now like fish out of water.
At that point I was determined it wasn’t going to happen to me.
My plan: I built a house in a small village with my nearest neighbour at 100yds I don’t have to live cooped up. I take exercise other than Cycling. I’ve nearly an acre of ground where I can keep chickens, build what like, grow what I like and just generally potter around with projects.
I built my house in a manner if either of us become unable to climb stairs it’s possible to live entirely downstairs. There’s a bus stop within 400yds in case driving becomes impossible. So I’ve future proofed as far as I could to avoid the stress of having to move later in life.
A guy I play squash with is a year older than me. When he retired, from a tile factory, he climbed the walls and returned to work in less than two months. Since my retirement I’ve only ever set foot on a farm to walk or lift a coupie ewe ive spotted from the roadside.

+1, thanks very much, you are another role model, this must be the best time for you

Reminds me of a favourite cycling story from Fellowship News, also from Scotland:
"I decided to celebrate my 90th birthday by going for a ride, did a loop through the country, stopped at home for lunch, went out again. Found I had done just 90 miles. The next day I was glad I lived in a bungalow.

Now I am looking forward to my 100th birthday"

I have so many thing to do at home, I could easily retire and and keep myself busy for several years, and never miss work at all.

If I got bored with that, I'd be happy to volunteer somewhere a couple of days per week, or do a little consulting work or something.

squeaker wrote: Oh!, and maintaining a fleet of cycles

I think that's a good actvity when combined with the actual cycling - both should help brain function.

Retiring was the best thing I've done.
Never been happier.

Working for a living?
Why would you want to do that?

Working to retire is better.

these forums

I think the "answer" will be very different for different people.

For me the transition was very easy - I emigrated to France so the 1st few years had more than enough "challenges" with house renovation, language, admin, etc. all on top of my other interests.

Retirement is a fantastic opportunity to do so many things. In addition to my existing interests that work had suppressed, time to start all those things you'd never got round to (learn a musical instrument, learn new language, etc.). For me it was the reason and opportunity to make my life mine (rather than my company's).

And there are loads of things that are great fun that don't actually cost anything (or virtually nothing). Plenty of volunteer work, explore FurureLearn http://futurelearn.com (vast range of courses all free), join all those local societies/clubs (wildlife, astronomy, ramblers, etc., etc.). Depending of finances there are quite a few Distance Learning courses in many different subjects (I went for degree level astronomy & cosmology courses, which didn't have the A-level requirement and now cost around £200 for a 5 month part-time course around 5 hrs a week work).

When still working (horrendous hours) my reasoning was based reflecting back on my life in old age (e.g. chair bound in a nursing home, looking back on my life). What would I want to feel on reflecting back - missed/wasted opportunities, days drifting past achieving nothing, etc. or making 110% of everything. It was a choice.

Ian

I always checked several times that I had locked the door, but now I have to check standard things before going out (pulled the plugs etc), could this be the start of decline?

There are so many things one does so many times, does the brain get full eventually remembering them all?

Cyril Haearn wrote:I always checked several times that I had locked the door, but now I have to check standard things before going out (pulled the plugs etc), could this be the start of decline?
.....

Likewise.

Ian

Cyril Haearn wrote:.............. does the brain get full eventually remembering them all?

I wonder if you could equate a brain to a computer hard drive?
How big do you think? 100 terbytes? 100 petabytes? More???

Could be that as we age, we end up with a few hundred gigabytes, and then latterly a few hundred kilobytes.

Join Secret Societies like the GAR club

Lejostics with several variables are good

Bought a new bike last week, had to decide where to leave my motor, walk to the bike shop, cycle home, walk to the motor next morning

Today I was in the Big City, had a bit of timetable in my head, puzzled out the connections, got a stopping train out of town, then changed, instead of going to the centre and getting the express

My brain overheats at work too, I can feel it speeding up when I try to think

You need to nuture it and feed it. Porridge, cake and a stick of rhubarb or two, but not all at the same time.

Stopped learning French at school many years ago but I try to read wikipedia articles in French
Don't understand it all, so it must be making my brain work

Other languages are worth trying, Dutch or German or Italian are really not so hard, or maybe Simple English or Scots
And Welsh wrth gwrs, of course