I don't miss the hustle and bustle

[street]

This week wife and I offered to help the kids out in their busy life. Our son just got back to work after about a 6 week time off after appendix surgery. His wife has a busy life as an attorney and it was spring break for their 7 year old and she is off the whole week.

So, we offered to help watch her and do what we can. I traveled there and spent one day and a night and then brought GD back home with me. Today we will travel back with her and watch both kids while DS/DIL attend some award banquet for DIL this evening as she is being honored. Then back to the quiet life again.

I once was in their shoes getting all things done on a daily basis and running around and going in circles. I see the busy lives of people where I live also and not sure I could do that schedule these days or would I want too.

We all been there done it and didn't seem to be a problem then, but now, no way, no how.

Do you see and notice the young busy lives going and coming each day and thinking the same way? Lol

 

[aja8888]

Do you see and notice the young busy lives going and coming each day and thinking the same way? Lol

Yea, my neighborhood is full of them, I just watch and take care of a small dog.

 

[marko]

We were an extremely busy couple for 30 years. I was travelling internationally to Europe and Asia 200 days a year, DW with me on many of the long trips. The nature of the job required a lot of evening entertaining, very early mornings and the phone ringing 18 hours a day. It was a 7 day a week job. We loved every minute of it and it paid obscenely well but I'd average only about 4 hours sleep a night.

But now......we revel in the anonymity, the quiet and being left alone; the phone doesn't ring anymore. I'm now sleeping at least 6 hours too!

 

[2HOTinPHX]

We are reminding almost every morning at about 5:30 when the super truck next door roars to life and then again at 6:45 when Camaro lady wakes up her V8. So glad we are no longer part of those having to get to work on time and we can roll over and get back to sleep
The days do fly by though no matter what we do or don't do unfortunately.

 

[Gumby]

.... I'd average only about 4 hours sleep a night.

But now......we revel in the anonymity, the quiet and being left alone; the phone doesn't ring anymore. I'm now sleeping at least 6 hours too!

Getting enough sleep is one of the best parts of retirement. I was chronically sleep deprived from the time I was 18 until I was 60.

 

[2HOTinPHX]

Getting enough sleep is one of the best parts of retirement. I was chronically sleep deprived from the time I was 18 until I was 60.

No more alarm clocks is so wonderful. The option to grab a nap during the day is pretty sweet if needed.

 

[pacergal]

Nope, don't miss it a bit.
Do miss some of my co-workers though, but keep in touch via FB and occasional lunch out.
Our sleep habits are much the same though, bedtime 10-11pm, up between 5-6am most days.
Napping as needed is a nice luxury of retirement!

 

[disneysteve]

So far I feel like I’m way busier since retiring. Not having 40+ hrs a week plus commuting time sucked up gives me way more time to do other things. I’m constantly running around doing various things for me, us, the house, the cars, my side gig, my mom, etc. no complaints though (most of the time). I’m grateful to be able to so it all.

 

[street]

Very interesting to watch from the outside looking in at the working person now. So, much better for me to let the world go around without me. I see many in the rat race trying to climb that corporate ladder and have their goals in life being filled with their plan and goal of achievements in the field of employment.

How things changed for me as I age and the priorities, I have now compared to then. I'm too tired to go back to those days now.

Oh, I feel busy in life now, but I can do it at my pace and likes. I also am busier than I want to be at times doing things that need to be done. I then want to be doing the things I really want to be doing.

 

[marko]

Getting enough sleep is one of the best parts of retirement. I was chronically sleep deprived from the time I was 18 until I was 60.

Well, chronic, permanent jet lag was my problem and I'm still having my first coffee by 4:30/5:00 most days, but now I'm in bed by 9:30 instead of 2am!

 

[audreyh1]

No not at all. We live in a 55+ community and folks are retired or a few work from home. Very little traffic. Nice and laid back.

 

[jollystomper]

We see the hustle and bustle in various ways - for example, when our son was temporarily living with us between leases, he and I both getting up early, but he off to work, and me off to golf... and me returning and doing many other things of choice before he returned in the evening, then some nights going online to do course work. Or, going for walks in the afternoon and seeing all the folks returning from work (despite the prevalence of work from home, a lot of them have jobs that have to be performed onsite).

It has taught me to be much more patient and understanding of people, not just family members and neighbors, but those I encounter in our activities - servers, airline counter agents, flight attendants. I likely have both more financial resources and control of my time than they do, so why make it any harder on them. I still get surprised at the happy response I get when I express how I know they are busy and remain patient and pleasant instead of biting their heads off. Even more surprising are the special treatments (like upgrades to business/first class), discounts (just got a 10% discount on a rental due to my patience), and even (when I was younger and more dashing ) date offers.

So... I do notice it, am glad that I can choose to be not in it, and try to exercise grace towards those that still have to be in it.

 

[Koolau]

Only time I notice much hustle and bustle is when we're forced to take a doctor appointment before the end of the morning rush hour. Then, I notice kids hurrying off to school and adults heading to w*rk, etc. Instead of a minute wait for the elevator, it's more like 5 minutes. I see people I don't usually see which is nice, but then I hate the slog to the doctor's office in all the traffic. Reminds me too much of when I had to w*rk.

 

[SJhawkins]

I'm still trying to figure out why all the retired folks go to the DMV over the lunch hour when us poor working folks have to go because they close at 5:00!

Just poking fun but it's kind of funny.

 

[Gumby]

I try not to shop or do chores on the weekend or during lunch hour, because it is too crowded with the working folks. I'd bet most retirees do the same. And I would add that grey hair does not necessarily mean retired.

 

[Koolau]

I try not to shop or do chores on the weekend or during lunch hour, because it is too crowded with the working folks. I'd bet most retirees do the same. And I would add that grey hair does not necessarily mean retired.

The earlier in the week, the better around here.

 

[MC Rider]

That's one nice thing about being retired. You can go to shop and whatnot when it is likely to not be too busy.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Young families seems to be so much busier than we were at that stage. I don't know when they sleep! Having a grandkid or two sleep over is most entertaining yet still exhausting for us.

 

[Markola]

I have become Lady Violet Crowley: “What’s a weekend?”

 

[disneysteve]

I try not to shop or do chores on the weekend or during lunch hour, because it is too crowded with the working folks. I'd bet most retirees do the same. And I would add that grey hair does not necessarily mean retired.

We went somewhere recently on a Saturday. I don’t recall where but it’s somewhere we go regularly. My wife commented on how crowded it was and I pointed out that we normally go there during the week but it was Saturday. It is so nice to be able to go everywhere when most folks are working and kids are in school.

 

[Dtail]

Weekdays definitely less crowded, but more crowded than it used to be with more people "working" from home.

 

[Diogenes]

The "hustle and bustle" is much more associated with the raising of children, than with remunerative employment. I find that parents are incessantly on the move, doing something, attending to something, even if they're stay-at-home, or retired early, or employed only part-time. The child-free, even if mired in a conventional job, have more measured and comfortably-paced lives.

A secondary consideration is house-ownership and the associated chores... maintenance, cleaning, yardwork. Comfortably retired acquaintances are frenetically busy, tidying-this or fixing-that, or doing "home improvement" in those rare cases where nothing needs to be fixed, cleaned or mended. As a renter, I am liberated from all of that.

The conclusion is that retirement is multi-faceted. Parents "retire" from parental chores once their children mature, whatever that means. Homeowners "retire" from ownership-chores once they cash-out and commence renting. There are many things in life, that are onerous, laborious, or otherwise consume our time. Conventional W2 or 1099 work is but one example... glaring, of course, but only one of many.

 

[audreyh1]

We had no children, but we definitely lived in hustle and bustle mode when working. Commuting, long hours, running errands in limited time, catching up on house chores, trying to squeeze in exercise and a few fun activities. Busy, busy.

 

[Ronstar]

I like to run errands during below zero temps, in rain or snow storms when few people are out and about. And always best in our limit hamlet when there is no school traffic.

We never had kids related hustle and bustle ourselves - just work related in suburbia.

So it’s good now in retirement to stay as far away from population centers as possible.

 

[SJhawkins]

I like to run errands during below zero temps, in rain or snow storms when few people are out and about. And always best in our limit hamlet when there is no school traffic.

We never had kids related hustle and bustle ourselves - just work related in suburbia.

So it’s good now in retirement to stay as far away from population centers as possible.

This exactly what we do, when we get a foot of snow we are going out for dinner, shopping or whatever. Enjoy taking the 4WD sleigh out on those days, as does the rest of our immediate group.