Funniest Comment Someone Has Said About Your FIRE?

[MRG]

NRG: I am the granddaughter of a shingle mill owner: Dad would say that there is no such thing as a dumb logger, they are killed the first month in the woods (applied Darwin), also guys who work in a shingle mill have short fingers.

I got comments when I retired at 48 but won't repeat them here.

You're correct. Most sawyers in circle mills are missing their right index and middle fingers. It was a very common injury from adjusting the guides next to the spinning saw(there was a design flaw). I was very lucky, we didn't have good equipment and I'm lucky to have all my parts.

 

[Winemaker]

No doubt about that.

I averaged 7 months a year living underwater for each boat I served on. After 20 years that adds up.

Thank you for your service again, one of my home brew friends is a submariner. He built an automated brewery in his single car garage wall and can still park a car inside.

I think I spent 6 months a year underground; at least I came to the surface daily.

 

[calmloki]

Yeah, hard to equate drug dealing with police/fire/military in terms of benefit to society.

Kinda rude the way forum software makes Redduck's quote of my original post makes it look like I equated drug dealing with farming or logging. I didn't and don't. I did note the danger of other societally useful careers can be greater than that of police or military careers.

 

[ERD50]

Kinda rude the way forum software makes Redduck's quote of my original post makes it look like I equated drug dealing with farming or logging. I didn't and don't. I did note the danger of other societally useful careers can be greater than that of police or military careers.

IMO, you are justified to feel it is rude. You only presented the numbers, you didn't assign any sort of value judgment to it.

I've seen those numbers, and referenced them myself. Many people just assume that police/fire have careers that are far more dangerous than some of those other careers. I spent time on a family farm, and any gathering of old farmers included missing fingers, hands, arms, or other injuries not immediately apparent.


-ERD50

 

[Chuckanut]

Thank you for your service again, one of my home brew friends is a submariner. He built an automated brewery in his single car garage wall and can still park a car inside.

I think I spent 6 months a year underground; at least I came to the surface daily.

I would love to see a photo of that if he will let you post one publically.

 

[MichaelB]

Kinda rude the way forum software makes Redduck's quote of my original post makes it look like I equated drug dealing with farming or logging. I didn't and don't. I did note the danger of other societally useful careers can be greater than that of police or military careers.

It's not forum SW, it's a broken quote that was repeated multiple times and no one corrected.



Now fixed

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

I love how my husband can be "retired" but everyone thinks I "quit" because of our age difference. My old boss got up at my farewell and used air quotes when he talked about my "retirement." Screw you dude, I'm taking my "quitter" butt to the beach into perpetuity.

 

[albireo13]

My old boss got up at my farewell and used air quotes when he talked about my "retirement." Screw you dude, I'm taking my "quitter" butt to the beach into perpetuity.

What a horse's arse he is!

 

[jollystomper]

This weekend, the most "interesting" comments about my FIRE - both said immediately after they found out:

• Person A (at a social gathering) - "A couple of month ago a friend of my son retired and moved to North Carolina to his beach home. They found him dead within a week"

• Person B (Woman at the gym) "Are you single?"

 

[Philliefan33]

I love how my husband can be "retired" but everyone thinks I "quit" because of our age difference. My old boss got up at my farewell and used air quotes when he talked about my "retirement." Screw you dude, I'm taking my "quitter" butt to the beach into perpetuity.

When I left Megacorp at age 50, my paperwork had to say “voluntary separation” because retirement wasn’t “allowed”until age 55.

Whatever. As long as I don’t have to show up anymore.

 

[MRG]

Megacorp had another big riff a couple weeks ago. This time they did allow folks to volunteer. One gal had put her retirement off for over a year so she could get a package. She was well past her FRA.

I see her post on FB about enjoying her new retirement life. One of her former co-w*rkers commented how lucky she was!

 

[38Chevy454]

Even though I could have taken this wrong, I thought it was funny. DW and I were walking the dogs and talking with my neighbor who is in early 30's. I built a fence around my backyard, about 730 ft worth. The neighbor said joking "that old guy is outworking me", which is funny since I am 54, not really that much older than the neighbor. DW teased me about being called an old guy.


Back when I actually left the megacorp world about 1 year ago, I had several of the you are too young to retire comments. I just responded with why work when you have enough to live your life without working.

 

[Sojourner]

One person here said their manager's reaction was "But.... you're not old enough to collect Social Security!"

Hahahah... I like that one. One of the funniest I've heard about.

My personal funniest comment was when someone said to me, I think at a family get together, "So, looks like Sojourner has decided to become a full-time ski bum!" I think I was about 47 at the time and had been telling them about an upcoming month-long ski trip. I'm sure I turned bright red and quickly tried to steer the conversation in another direction.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I have heard plenty of comments, and most have been recited here. For the most part, only my relatives and closest friends are aware that I am FULLY retired (and NO, I don't *do* side hustles) and I like it that way...it minimizes the misinformed comments.

Last night, we went to a concert with some friends (they know I am retired) and the wife made a comment that she was looking for a second j*b to help pay down some bills and then another remark (no less than 5 minutes later) to my DW about how she will never be "as lucky as I am" to be retired so young. She then proceeded to show my DW the latest draft for a tattoo she plans on getting this week that undoubtedly will cost $300+. Yeah, I have *no* idea why she can't comprehend the concept of retirement...

 

[youbet]

In the months following my full retirement (with DW also fully retired) at 58, I met a buddy at a sports bar to watch Da Bears game. He brought a friend along whom I had never met. During the yakking and beer drinking that followed, the subject of careers and places of employment came up. Uh Ooooh! Don't wanna seem smug saying I'm FIRE'd! So I meekly identified myself as long term unemployed (which is the case since I was RIF'd and I was collecting unemployment benefits at the time). Expecting some jealous reaction, I was surprised when he said "Congrats and welcome to the club! I've been FIRE'd since I was 46!" Thinking back, it had to be a hoot for both of them to see my chin drop to the table! Hee, hee...... I somehow resisted the urge to ask silly questions like "how did you do it?" or make silly statements like "but that's so young to be fully FIRE'd!" I just said "That's fantastic and congrats to you!" and turned my attention back to the game. FIRE status at 58 (with no side gigs or working spouse) didn't seem like such a big deal after all!!

Sometimes the funniest moments occur when the unexpected happens.......

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

In the months following my full retirement (with DW also fully retired) at 58, I met a buddy at a sports bar to watch Da Bears game. He brought a friend along whom I had never met. During the yakking and beer drinking that followed, the subject of careers and places of employment came up. Uh Ooooh! Don't wanna seem smug saying I'm FIRE'd! So I meekly identified myself as long term unemployed (which is the case since I was RIF'd and I was collecting unemployment benefits at the time). Expecting some jealous reaction, I was surprised when he said "Congrats and welcome to the club! I've been FIRE'd since I was 46!" Thinking back, it had to be a hoot for both of them to see my chin drop to the table! Hee, hee...... I somehow resisted the urge to ask silly questions like "how did you do it?" or make silly statements like "but that's so young to be fully FIRE'd!" I just said "That's fantastic and congrats to you!" and turned my attention back to the game. FIRE status at 58 (with no side gigs or working spouse) didn't seem like such a big deal after all!!

Sometimes the funniest moments occur when the unexpected happens.......

That is pretty awesome. It's fortunate that there aren't more of us out there.

I read here someone use the term when asked what they do, "I am self-unemployed". I am looking forward to using that. Or maybe "wealth preservation specialist"

 

[athena53]

I read here someone use the term when asked what they do, "I am self-unemployed". I am looking forward to using that. Or maybe "wealth preservation specialist"

My LinkedIn job description is "Private Portfolio Manager".

I retired at 61, so not as early as many here, but when I talk to younger people I give them the short version of my path to ER: politics got toxic, I looked at my numbers after saving and investing my entire adult life, decided I didn't need to work for a living anymore, and quit, and life is very good. I'm hoping that my example may make a few realize that (a) ER is possible and (b) you may not be able to work as long as you think and it's good to have ER as a viable option.

 

[Dtail]

My LinkedIn job description is "Private Portfolio Manager".

I retired at 61, so not as early as many here, but when I talk to younger people I give them the short version of my path to ER: politics got toxic, I looked at my numbers after saving and investing my entire adult life, decided I didn't need to work for a living anymore, and quit, and life is very good. I'm hoping that my example may make a few realize that (a) ER is possible and (b) you may not be able to work as long as you think and it's good to have ER as a viable option.

My Linkedin description is "Retired in Florida".

 

[MJ]

I retired in my mid 50's and several years earlier, I went back to a lot bicycling so between exercising and no work, I got into terrific shape and looked a few years younger. When someone found out I was retired they would ultimately ask, "What do you do all day?" I would answer with a straight face, "I am sooo busy doing nothing all day that I have no time to do anything else!"

 

[NoMoreJob]

Our 11-year-old granddaughter was visiting us recently. When she comes to visit she likes to help my wife pay the bills including checking off receipts, paying the bills online, balancing the checking account, etc.

This year she looked at my wife and asked, "where does your money come from?"

Aren't kids great?! My wife took it as an opportunity to explain the importance of working hard, saving, investing wisely and not spending more than you can afford.

 

[Dtail]

I retired in my mid 50's and several years earlier, I went back to a lot bicycling so between exercising and no work, I got into terrific shape and looked a few years younger. When someone found out I was retired they would ultimately ask, "What do you do all day?" I would answer with a straight face, "I am sooo busy doing nothing all day that I have no time to do anything else!"

Or as the band Styx stated "I got nothing to do and all day to do it".

 

[Ready]

This topic comes up a lot on the pickleball court, especially with the morning group since most of them are older and retired. Last week one of them asked me if I was a trust fund baby. I thought that was pretty funny.

 

[marko]

Today I was picking up a friend at my former MegaCorp for lunch (retired 2 yrs ago) and pulled up in front of the building in my sports car with the top down.

Some people just have no imagination.

My HR Director --same age as me-- commented (yes, he actually said this)...

"I'm not sure that sailing along the coast of Maine all summer, skiing the Alps for a month and the rest of the winter in Fort Lauderdale will be enough for you to stay happy".

I said: "Bob, listen to yourself!"
He insisted.

Thirteen years later, I still email him from time to time to indirectly remind him that I'm failing to live up to his prediction. ("Greetings from Chamonix!")

 

[iloveyoga]

I have had several friends ask me how we did it because they want to do the same thing. Like many on this board, we did it that long, not exciting way, working many years, always saving first, and spending less than we made. When I start to explain this, people seem to tune out quickly.

 

[Dawg52]

I read here someone use the term when asked what they do, "I am self-unemployed".

That is a good one. I'll have to use it sometime.

I had a female colleague tell me all the reasons I shouldn't retire and she ended up saying I would never admit to being unhappy later on. Unlikely she would ever admit that someone could be happy with early retirement.