ER'd from something or to something?

[RockMiner]

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?

 

[REWahoo]

... 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?

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

 

[greg]

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

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

 

[playaman]

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.

 

[justin]

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...

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.

 

[greg]

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

 

[MJ]

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.

 

[kz]

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!

 

[LovesLife]

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

 

[REWahoo]

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.

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

 

[Mr._johngalt]

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

 

[LovesLife]

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

 

[Mr._johngalt]

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

I am pretty sure that some of my former employees are thinking
"it hasn't been the same since he left".

JG

 

[REWahoo]

BTW, the old employer must be hurtin' for certain.

Revenge may not be nice, but it sure is GOOD....

REW

 

[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.

Now I have to retrain myself to complete things, so I can shorten my list of things to do. It's pretty long.

 

[Michael Moore]

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.

. . . . 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

 

[Nords]

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?

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.

 

[Lazarus]

Sounds wonderfull Nords!

 

[poyet]

Nords,

No surfing or funboarding in Hawai ?

Patrice

 

[SteveR]

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.

 

[Mountain_Mike]

Nords,

It sounds like you need to change your phone number

 

[Nords]

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?

The military's a notoriously slow pay so I make the miscreants buy me lunch. The guy who wanted my old safe combination had to pay big-time to keep me from telling the humorous story to his XO...

Besides, as a beneficiary of the miitary pension system I'm still "subject to recall at the pleasure of the President." You don't want to imagine how bad things would have to get for that to happen...

Nords,
It sounds like you need to change your phone number

You're probably right. We used to be publicly listed to "be there" for our troops in their hour of need. We still have our name in the directory for those military friends passing through on short notice.

Besides, if we changed our number, then how would all those teenage boys figure out how to call our daughter?