Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Feeling guilty
Old 12-24-2007, 09:19 AM   #1
Recycles dryer sheets
Sweetlip's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 70
Feeling guilty

Hi folks; greetings from sub-tropical Brisbane, Australia.


I exercised a lifelong plan and took a year's leave from work at age 55, always intending to return to work after that to finally finish at age 65.

After being off work for that length of time and having good financials because I have always applied the themes written about in books like "The Millionaire Next Door", "Rich Dad, Poor Dad", "Your Money or Your Life" and the like plus having always listened to the wisdom of my dear old Mum who died at age 92 in 1999 but who had always instilled in me her lessons from the Great Depression, I decided to not return to work. I just had too good a time when I was away from the pressures of corporate life ...




Now at age 57, whilst I do not miss the routine and pressure of corporate life, I do miss the community and busy-ness a bit but I also have a sense of guilt though because I am still fit and healthy and alert and my "protestant work ethic' keeps telling me that I should be still working.

This is not strong enough a feeling yet, though, to actually make me want to do something about it.
Sweetlip is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 12-24-2007, 09:24 AM   #2
Gone but not forgotten
Khan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 6,924
Send a message via AIM to Khan
Quote:
Now at age 57, whilst I do not miss the routine and pressure of corporate life, I do miss the community and busy-ness a bit but I also have a sense of guilt though because I am still fit and healthy and alert and my "protestant work ethic' keeps telling me that I should be still working.
That too shall pass.
__________________
"Knowin' no one nowhere's gonna miss us when we're gone..."
Khan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-24-2007, 09:32 AM   #3
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
dex's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 5,105
Welcome - Brisbane is a nice city - I've been there a couple of times.
What is the final assement of the Goodwill Games when it was there - Did the people think it was worth it?

Also - I would like to rent an apartment in Sydney and Cains for about 1 month to 6 weeks each - not high end prices. Do you know of any places that might be able to help me?
__________________
Sometimes death is not as tragic as not knowing how to live. This man knew how to live--and how to make others glad they were living. - Jack Benny at Nat King Cole's funeral
dex is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-24-2007, 09:33 AM   #4
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Dawg52's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Central MS/Orange Beach, AL
Posts: 9,071
Don't feel guilty, just be happy! You can always do some volunteer work if the guilt remains. BTW, nice fish.
__________________
Retired 3/31/2007@52
Investing style: Full time wuss.
Dawg52 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-24-2007, 09:38 AM   #5
Gone but not forgotten
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sweetlip View Post
I do miss the community and busy-ness a bit but I also have a sense of guilt though because I am still fit and healthy and alert and my "protestant work ethic' keeps telling me that I should be still working.

This is not strong enough a feeling yet, though, to actually make me want to do something about it.

Wecome and give up the guilt life is to be enjoyed !
Moemg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-24-2007, 10:21 AM   #6
Recycles dryer sheets
Sweetlip's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 70
Quote:
Originally Posted by dex View Post
Welcome - Brisbane is a nice city - I've been there a couple of times.
What is the final assement of the Goodwill Games when it was there - Did the people think it was worth it?

Thanks for your welcome.

The Goodwill Games were really a bit of a non-event. They do not remain top-of-mind in the minds of Brisbanites compared with other things like the Expo 88 and the Commonwealth Games held in 1982. To be honest, I don't even remember when the Goodwill Games were held here - and it was not that long ago.

Of course, everything pales into insignificance when compared with the Sydney Olympics which were stupendously successful. Some olympics' events were held in Brisbane, (which is 450 miles from Sydney) such as a great night game of soccer that I went to see with my wife. Aussies love supporting underdogs and in that fixture, the audience gave heaps of support to the underdogs who were Camaroon and who went on to win the Gold medal.


Quote:
Originally Posted by dex View Post
Also - I would like to rent an apartment in Sydney and Cairns for about 1 month to 6 weeks each - not high end prices. Do you know of any places that might be able to help me?

I would be of no help at all on this, I am sorry to say. Probably best to Google real estate firms in both of those cities and enquire of them.
Sweetlip is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-25-2007, 07:08 PM   #7
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Helen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Portland
Posts: 2,038
Hi Sweetlip,
Congratulations! It sounds like you are doing the right thing. Don't feel guilty, you worked hard and saved.

So what kind of a fish is that? It almost looks like a huge trout.
Helen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-25-2007, 08:29 PM   #8
Recycles dryer sheets
Sweetlip's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 70
Quote:
Originally Posted by Helen View Post
So what kind of a fish is that? It almost looks like a huge trout.

Thanks, Helen.

That is Mulloway, commonly called a jewfish - jew being short for jewel and which relates to a shiny bit of bone inside their head.

They are a saltwater fish and very tasty. That one weighed 33 lbs. I caught it one winter's night in August last year when I was out in my local Moreton Bay fishing for snapper. I was fishing alone so by the time that I had fought him and got him into the boat I was exhausted ..... but very happy!
Sweetlip is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-28-2007, 06:11 PM   #9
Full time employment: Posting here.
Dog's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 880
Hi Sweetlip, Don't feel guilty - enjoy your retirement...you earned it. My father was able to retire early and really enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening and time with his family. We lost him this spring and although I miss him more than I can say, I am SO happy he was able to so thoroughly enjoy his retirement. ENJOY !!!
Dog is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-29-2007, 04:39 PM   #10
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 642
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sweetlip View Post
Now at age 57, whilst I do not miss the routine and pressure of corporate life, I do miss the community and busy-ness a bit but I also have a sense of guilt though because I am still fit and healthy and alert and my "protestant work ethic' keeps telling me that I should be still working.
Sweetlip,

Working at a corporate job is not the only way to contribute. DW and I are just back from visiting family for Christmas, and I had not realized how much my father and mother (retired ~3 years now) do for their community. There are repairs to subdivision community property, meetings, cutting the neighbor's yard when the husband came down with cancer, et multiple cetera! Yet, they contribute these things at a reasonable pace and are much happier now... when you have time to do things at a reasonable pace, the tension that builds up until you're likely to explode at the first mistake made by someone else tends to dissipate... living 'happy' uplifts the lives of those around you, in my experience.

Good luck to you in whatever you decide!
__________________
"Making deliberate choices about how to spend your money and your time is the essence of making the most of your life energy." -Bill Perkins, Die With Zero

"I've traded love for pennies, sold my soul for less" -Jim Croce, Age
TickTock is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-30-2007, 04:10 PM   #11
Dryer sheet wannabe
pentang.fog's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 14
Hey, if you got the financials and stay active in yer own way, that's nothin to feel guilty ago. Congrats on your decision, it takes a lot to pull yourself away from the day-to-day grind (I'm feeling a bit of that worry myself).
pentang.fog is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-30-2007, 05:49 PM   #12
Recycles dryer sheets
Sweetlip's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 70
Thanks for all of your supportive replies everyone.

One of the things that I miss on this site is a "Thanks" button as I use on another similar format site. That would enable everyone to be thanked without needing to write text and fill up the website with one liners thanks or worst still, to not express gratitude at all.







.
Sweetlip is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Felt a little guilty Eyerishgold Other topics 26 09-25-2007 12:27 PM
Need help with feeling guilty! dumpster56 Life after FIRE 17 10-02-2006 03:05 PM
Scrushy found not guilty Dawg52 Other topics 12 07-02-2005 02:18 PM
Guilty about working spouse? RockMiner Life after FIRE 34 04-24-2005 08:40 AM
Guilty of Being a Cubicle Hater notTwain Young Dreamers 4 08-20-2004 10:09 AM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:11 PM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.