I’m going to on out on a limb here, hoping that if you’re visiting this blog, regardless of your age, you have at least a passing interest in your future and the lifestyles it can bring. Maybe you came for the travelogues or photo challenges, but of course I hope you’ll stay for the info and ruminations on my retired life.
One of my goals with this blog was to learn more about retirement planning (goals, lifestyle and finances), and to share what I learned. It occurs to me though, that I know my own wants and needs, but not anyone else’s. My discoveries may or may not be helpful, or even interesting, to you.
In July, WordPress.com posted a Daily Prompt called Get Interactive. It suggested, among other things, polling and challenges as a way to engage other bloggers in discussion, and I’m hoping for your input- so here’s my challenge:
No matter how old you are, once a week, give a little thought to your future. Each Thursday for at least the next few months, after doing a post myself on the same general topic, I’ll suggest an aspect for you to consider and perhaps fit into the context of your own life.
If you’d like to share what you think, or post on it, that’s great – and I’d love it if you’d share those thoughts in a post or comment (tag posts: TRS Future Challenge and link to this post) so others interested can also see them.
If you choose not to share them, that’s fine too – but with any luck, you’ll still gain some insight on where you’re headed (or would like to be), and how you can get the most out of your own journey.
OK – here we go. To set the tone for these challenges, here’s the first: When we’re young, our 60’s and 70’s seem forever away. Take a moment and picture yourself at 75. (Ideas: Where are you living? How did you get there? Who’s with you? How do you fill your days?)
Hope you have fun thinking about this. It’s been driving me a little crazy. (For my own take on this, see my post Where’s My Golden Pond?)
The Retiring Sort 
I look forward to your insights on your journey into retirement. I always imagine my life as better and abundant… It keeps me hopeful and focused on making each day count for something. Honestly, retirement is not in my vocabulary as I imagine myself always working at something… It would be wonderful I suppose. 🙂
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I expect we’ll both do some part time work once we figure out where we’re settling in, but not being driven by a career is liberating!!
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Scary, scary! Just 25 short years away for me. I look at my mother, (who has her act well together at 78) and think, “well, I’m not an anesthetist, I’m hooped.” But then think of how much happier I am than my mom. 🙂
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I guess we all take different paths to happiness or fulfillment! 😉
So where will you be at her age?
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I love this topic, TRS. Though I think about the future, but can always use guidance from other people’s insights.
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Thanks, Amy! My guess is that most of us don’t give quite as much thought to the future as we could. We think we’ll start taking care of ourselves in January, or start saving next year…. and suddenly we’re in our sixties with creaky knees, upset tummies, and maybe a shortage of resources to retire in style… I hope these challenges will help me and others consider different ways of looking at retirement, and help us get there with our health and humor intact! 😉
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Besides, unlike our parents’ time, economic is so unpredictable. Thank you for thought about this important topic!
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When I was young, I never imagined my life the way it is now, 57 in a few weeks. i still look the same-everyone recognizes me, same long golden brown hair, thin, just more wrinkles,,life has been filled with both the most awesome joy-6 kids-5 grands-one born yesterday another due in spring…and unthinkable loss-watching my 15 year old handsome son collapse and die without warning playing baseball-my health was taken with my son, my faith, my ability to really grasp joy for any length of time-I learned that not even my desperately believing God had said he would keep my kids safe and me strong-that there were “jobs” he had for me to do was anymore that hope. I learned that the people whom love you most can hurt you the most because they struggle to understand and cannot. They hurt for their desire to help you and you hurt from the nothing helps. Life, time goes on, nothing ages you, changes you like loosing a child. I will be 60 when my youngest is 18. I think of me as a 19 year old mom playing in the dirt by the side of our country road and now struggle to lower myself-fake hip-scoliosis-bad heart and all to the floor to play with a grandchild. Life is a fight-there are days I don’t feel like fighting, and then the realization that there is really no rational choice. What will I be at 70-80-90-many people in my family have lived into their late 80’s and even mid-nineties. My goal was to say at the end that “Its been a good ride.” “not sure I could say that now. I just hope to regain the inner strength I had when I fought through a difficult, lonely young adulthood. Regardless of the comments of those who say “Life is what you make it.” It rarely is. Life is simply life, each of ours different and our reaction to our victories and defeats as different as each of us are. Beebeesworld
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Please let me start by congratulating you on the birth of your newest grandchild. As I watch mine grow, I am amazed how each new life adds something special to mine. I cannot begin to fathom your grief at the loss of your son, or imagine how I would cope with the loss of one of my own children. It sounds like you have other family who still needs you, and like you have always been a caregiver. Even caregivers need help and TLC sometimes – it’s my hope and prayer that you will find these, and a healing of the pain that you have so eloquently expressed here and in your blog. I hope the day will come when you can remember your son with joy and not be overcome by that pain.. All my best to you in this season of goodwill – I wish you a healthy and peaceful new year.
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Hmmm. Well 75 is just 30 years from now.
So I will probably be in an old people’s home … how did I get there? My kids had enough and got their own back 😉
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LOL – I hope the company there is good and the accommodations are cozy! Thanks for your response, Alastair! 😉
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If not, I’ll be one of those grumpy old gits that people always take the mickey out of hehe
You’re welcome 🙂
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What a fantastic idea, I will be following you each week.
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Thanks, as always, Allan, for your support!
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