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ER'd from something or to something?
07-22-2005, 09:21 AM
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#1
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Posts: 214
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ER'd from something or to something?
The recent "What do you do all day?" thread shows that many ER's seem to lead very unstructured, simple lives.* This causes me to question the popular chant that one should not retire "from something" (as in fleeing an unpleasant job), but "to something", as in pursuing strong outside interests...
Personally I have mixed motives, but I can't help wondering how many start out intending to immerse themselves in various interests but end up simply learning how to "be", a la Thoreau?
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
07-22-2005, 09:30 AM
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#2
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,004
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
Quote:
Originally Posted by R_K
... I can't help wondering how many start out intending to immerse themselves in various interests but end up simply learning how to "be", a la Thoreau?
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Good question, one that I am in the process of determining my own personal answer. So far (two months), just "being" is pretty darned nice.
REW
__________________
Numbers is hard
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
07-22-2005, 10:23 AM
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#3
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,071
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo!
Good question, one that I am in the process of determining my own personal answer. So far (two months), just "being" is pretty darned nice.
REW
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Here's my basic formula for the rest of my life. It has both structure and variety:
Blank, Snack, Nap. . . . repeat.
Some times I fill in the 'blank' with 'volunteer', sometimes with 'play,' sometimes with 'vacation,' and sometimes with 'bitc*.' It works for me, and I hope Martha acquires/follows the same structure soon.
--Greg
__________________
Compounding: Never forget! Never not remember!
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
07-22-2005, 10:28 AM
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#4
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Recycles dryer sheets
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
Greg/ a/k/a Apocalypse ... 's formula for retirement sounds good to me.
Yesterday (my birthday) I had breakfast with a close friend and former colleague who was aghast when I said "Two years from today and I'm gone."
"You're always busy, always lots of projects," he said.
My retort was: "And, I'd like to just do nothing for awhile and then ease back into things that only please me." I think Greg's structure is about right.
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
07-22-2005, 10:46 AM
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#5
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Join Date: Jun 2005
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
Quote:
Originally Posted by R_K
This causes me to question the popular chant that one should not retire "from something" (as in fleeing an unpleasant job), but "to something", as in pursuing strong outside interests...
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I have the same question. Are we limited to defining ourselves by what we do (job, hobbies, etc)? I think most jobs are instrumentally valuable and most hobbies are intrinsically valuable. That is, we work to live and we live to have hobbies (travel, fishing, whatever). Some peoples hobbies are drinkin' beer on the back porch and watching the clouds drift by.
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
07-22-2005, 12:47 PM
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#6
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,071
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
One of the nicest parts of retirement is that you finally have the time to do things "right." When you're working and have a two-week vacation you often cram as much into that space as you can, somehow thinking that "Well, if we see the entire Southwest, it will be a better vacation." Too much planning and too little spontinaity (sp?) sometimes destroys the "being" part. Retirement allows you to paint the house just the way it should be done, not "I've got three days to finish this dang project" before I go back to work. That 'ease of time' constraint changes ones perspective toward everything--makes it more enjoyable and you more 'joyed.'
--Greg
__________________
Compounding: Never forget! Never not remember!
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
07-22-2005, 01:41 PM
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#7
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
The beauty of FIRE is the freedom to do anything that I can afford to do, which includes what I consider nothing.
It's my choice. I just pick the time and place to do "it".
Over the last 7 years, I took my 3 week vacation in pay because I just didn't think it was worth going away for limited 1 or 2 week period. In my younger days before I became so called professional, I used to take off and travel leisurely for months. The simple enjoyment of wine, bread, cheese, and cucumbers is still etched in my memory.
I will be creating new travel memories shortly. Just more nothing to do.
__________________
I look to the present moment because that's where I live my life.
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
07-22-2005, 03:14 PM
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#8
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
The only "thing" DH wanted to retire to was rummaging. And, trust me, he's pretty good at that.
He did mention today, though, that while he is in the middle of a project he suddenly is reminded of something he has wanted to do for years. So....he drops whatever he is doing and gets the other project done right then and there. He just loves the fact that he has the time to do this. And like Greg said he gets to do it right!
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
07-22-2005, 03:23 PM
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#9
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
For me it was a little bit of both. My former boss's family were awful to work for so the choice to leave was the right one. So I didn't really have anything to retire to when I first ER'ed. But, I quickly found things to fill my days that make my days worthwhile. I am certainly a better wife and mother now that I have more time to give to my family. I am also finding more time to give to myself and I am really liking the new me. It was a win/win situation.
LL
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
07-22-2005, 03:32 PM
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#10
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
Quote:
Originally Posted by LL
For me it was a little bit of both. My former boss's family were awful to work for so the choice to leave was the right one.
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I remember some of the anguish you went through in deciding to pull the plug. Glad to hear you look back on all that now and know you did the right thing.
REW
__________________
Numbers is hard
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
07-22-2005, 03:49 PM
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#11
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
I think Greg has the right idea. I never had a really bad employment
situation. This is mainly due to my personality, but that is another story.
I did not retire FROM anything but only TO something. Pretty much worked out as I planned so far.
JG
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
07-22-2005, 03:57 PM
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#12
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
Thanks, REW
BTW, the old employer must be hurtin' for certain. I've had some of my old patients call me up and want to know if I started up someplace else. They said it hasn't been the same since I left. The old boss has also lost 2 more audiologists since I left and has not been able to fill those positions as of yet.
LL
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
07-22-2005, 04:01 PM
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#13
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
Quote:
Originally Posted by LL
Thanks, REW
BTW, the old employer must be hurtin' for certain.* I've had some of my old patients call me up and want to know if I started up someplace else.* They said it hasn't been the same since I left.* The old boss has also lost 2 more audiologists since I left and has not been able to fill those positions as of yet.
LL
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I am pretty sure that some of my former employees are thinking
"it hasn't been the same since he left".
JG
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
07-22-2005, 04:07 PM
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#14
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
Quote:
Originally Posted by LL
BTW, the old employer must be hurtin' for certain.
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Revenge may not be nice, but it sure is GOOD....
REW
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Numbers is hard
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
07-22-2005, 04:27 PM
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#15
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
I find that I have the time to FINISH things now. I used to leave things half finished because I'd run out of time.
Now I have to retrain myself to complete things, so I can shorten my list of things to do. It's pretty long.
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
07-22-2005, 04:54 PM
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#16
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
Quote:
Originally Posted by KB
I find that I have the time to FINISH things now.* I used to leave things half finished because I'd run out of time.
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. . . . or don't start things because you know you won't have enough time to finish them.
I don't hate my job, but I'm certainly going to be glad to see the last of it four weeks from today! I've got plenty of things to retire to.
cheers,
Michael
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
07-22-2005, 04:58 PM
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#17
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Moderator Emeritus
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Posts: 26,856
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
Quote:
Originally Posted by R_K
The recent "What do you do all day?" thread shows that many ER's seem to lead very unstructured, simple lives.* This causes me to question the popular chant that one should not retire "from something" (as in fleeing an unpleasant job), but "to something", as in pursuing strong outside interests...
Personally I have mixed motives, but I can't help wondering how many start out intending to immerse themselves in various interests but end up simply learning how to "be", a la Thoreau?
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I ER'd to pursue an unstructured, simple life.
Actually ER eliminated the dissatisfiers (commute, boss, daycare, meetings, budget reviews) while adding plenty of satisfiers. *I'm there for the kid, I can surf until my arms won't move, I can take naps, I can work home improvement to the nth degree of detail, I can read & surf the Internet as much as I can handle, and I still get to help people. *
It's a tremendous advantage to be able to drop one project, dig into another as much as you want to, and go back to the first. *Life is much more non-linear and hugely more enjoyable...
Three years later I still get the occasional workplace call. It's flattering to be asked but it's also nice to be able to tell the caller where they should have looked for that info in the first place.
__________________
*
Co-author (with my daughter) of “Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence.”
Author of the book written on E-R.org: "The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement."
I don't spend much time here— please send a PM.
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
07-22-2005, 06:24 PM
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#18
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
Sounds wonderfull Nords!
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In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not.
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
07-27-2005, 05:35 AM
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#19
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
Nords,
No surfing or funboarding in Hawai ?
Patrice
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gnoti seauton
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
07-27-2005, 12:42 PM
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#20
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,811
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Re: ER'd from something or to something?
Nords,
If you are still getting phone calls from your previous employer asking for you for information you should be charging them unless you just like to talk to them. You have what they want, why should you give it away? Maybe you should consider doing a consulting contract with that that would state that they can call you for information help but you will charge them on an hourly basis.
Or you can just amuse yourself when they call knowing that some things never change....business runs on information and those that cannot manage it will lose.
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Work? I don't have time to work....I'm retired.
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