My dad just retired. Unlike professional athletes, he planned how to spend his life after retirement. Contrary to what some very young people may think, there is indeed life after retirement, as many people (in the U.S., anyway) retire around age 55 or so, leaving a good 30 years of nonemployment (at least full time).
He’s running in local politics as a township committeeman, but that won’t occupy most of his time if he wins. So he’s also concentrating on working on the house and in the yard and focusing on his hobbies, particularly geneological research.
Now, no doubt there are many people on this board who are retired.
Do you have any words of wisdom for your newest member?
How did you cope with your retirement? Did you pick up a new hobby or concentrate on an old one? Did you get a part-time job to keep yourself occupied?
What pitfalls should the new retiree expect to encounter?
His work is having a party for him and a few other recent retirees at a casino in Atlantic City. I figured it would be a neat idea to get advice and the like from people who’ve been there before and then print out the thread for him.
My dad did some menial manual labor-type jobs after retirement just to fill the time and make some pocket change. He also helped my mom with her catering business. They owned a fairly big house with a hunk of property, so there was lots for him to do. He also attended occasional meetings of his professional organizations.
My father-in-law loves woodworking, and he’s done tons of that since retirement. He and my mother-in-law travel a bit, when they can afford it. They’re living in a retirement community (they’re in their 70s) that has lots of activities and they seem to really enjoy that.
Seems to me, the best tip is to DO SOMETHING! Retirement shouldn’t be about sitting around waiting for death. If you’ve got reasonable health, there aren’t too many limits.
Get involved in charity work or volunteer somewhere. There are MANY organizations that would love an extra pair of hands. Be a foster grandparent. Get involved with a local school. Go to a nursing home and read to those who can no longer do it for themselves. Offer to deliver meals to shut-ins.
My dad just retired too but he is still doing some contract work on the side. He main desire was to just feel like he was still useful and keep busy.
My father semi-retired at 60. He worked part-time about 7 years until 1 1/2 years ago when he and my mother both full-time retired. They’ve pretty much been doing all that you describe: working on the house, hobbies, volunteering. They certainly keep busy, sometimes interfering with their babysitting duties! Don’t they know their grand kids need them?
I don’t know if your mom’s still around, but I’m sure she would appreciate getting him out from under her feet.
My father, who has always had hobbies, expanded them. He builds furniture, works in stained glass, does wood carving, continues to garden, and he and my mother travel quite a bit. He’s enjoying his retirement to the fullest.
I don’t think my mom’s looking forward to it, no. After all, once he’s fixed all the things that need a-fixing, maybe he’ll break stuff just to fix them. Otherwise, he’ll be underfoot, and good!
Oh, and he has a new grandchild, so maybe he’ll babysit. A lot.
My step-dad retired a few years ago. After about 8 months he got bored of just playing with the stock market in the morning and got a job at disneyland (that’s right). He works attractions in fantasyland, he currently works on storybook (the ride where you go through the whales mouth in the beginning). So if you go to disnyland you might see em!!!
But yea a part time job seems like a good idea after retirement, just to keep busy and still be social.
My father, a former work-aholic, was worried he’d just die slowly when he quit working. Since retirement they have taken up amateur theater (there are always “little old lady” and “dirty old man” parts for people who don’t need to be the star), my father has taken classes in stone carving (he was already a wood carving hobbiest) and pottery making. He’s been unofficially designated the personal handiman for all the widows in the neighborhood.
The folks also take road trips all over the country, and do Elderhostel trips (basically educational seminars for retirees during the summer).
My mother’s new thing (yes, mother) is to see a baseball game in every stadium in the US. They’re working their way through them all one by one.
I’m jealous of all the fun they’re having, and all the traveling they get to do!
As several others have mentioned, the most important thing is to stay busy. Whether through new (or old) hobbies, part time job, or volunteering, there shouldn’t be a problem finding something to do.
When I retired several years ago a friend of mine let me hang out at his business and piddle around. I am also quite involved with our neighborhood association. That keeps me out from under my wife’s feet. She retired last year and does a lot of volunteer work.
Good luck to your dad in his retirement, dantheman.
Retirement shouldn’t be about sitting around waiting for death. If you’ve got reasonable health, there aren’t too many limits.