Still not quite ready.
NI stopped working 10 years ago. I’m now 72 (chronologically speaking). I’m still undecided about retirement.
Firstly, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with it. From what I read, older people seemed to be intent on travelling, doing bucket lists, meeting other older people, saving the planet, looking after other people’s children, living longer, talking about the past and telling the same joke over and over again.
Not that there’s anything wrong with all that.
But wasn’t that what I was doing before?
And why is it that old people look so good on the internet and are always smiling at each other or me? When I look in the mirror first thing there appears to be little to smile about.
ive had to drop the mirror a few cms for a start, just to see myself. and it ain’t a pretty sight. I read with some disinterest in the place about knowing if I our partner is having an affair. I suggested this reading to my wife. She laughed until her sides hurt.
“You?”, she quipped. “Not likely.”
i has all my hobbies when I was working. They were therapy to relieve the stress of working. Now I’m not working I feel as if I need a stressful hobby.
ive travelled all my life. The places I haven’t seen aren’t really worth seeing.
im not really interested in saving the planet. It seems if I don’t use a plastic bag from woolies I don’t see many different. In fact, things seem to be getting worse.
i was more interested in old people when I was young. They were interesting (although they had a funny ‘old’ smell. Now I’m old and smell like that I’d like to mix with young people but they think I smell.
I have 6 jokes I can tell well. You’ve probably heard them.
im to big on babies. They seem ... hard work.
My doctor as well as my therapist, wife, daughter, grand daughter, great grand daughter, neighbour, even the postman, tell me I need to get out more and meet people. So, I’m thinking of buying a motorbike.
im not grumpy or being negative, I don’t think. I’m just trying to figure out where I fit in the end of life phase.
feel free to assist.
tom
Well KIAH, you only stayed three months. Boredom doesn't kick in until the next month! Hahaha
Boredom is just a state of the mind, not a state of the place. Think of your passions and pursue them. They will stop your boredom.
Hi KIAH
Three month? Wow.
ive worked here for 30 years. Loved every minute of it, because I loved my work.
this is a great place to work and live. It’s when it stops that can and does cause a problem or two.
youre right. It’s hot some days. The older I get the hotter it feels. It’s why a large proportion of oldies leave. I’m still here. I’m sticking it out for other reasons.
some days it’s wet. Bloody wet. That’s when fungus grows on everything from boots in the hallway to crutch rot on tentacles. If you done have testicles you’re fortunate. Damn pain they are.
Did I say I was bored? I’ll check back later.
I love it when someone on the other side of the planet tells me to get out there. Sounds like my wife. You would want to be my wife. Trust me.
of course, all of my ramblings were simply to find some friends. There’s nothing like throwing a spinner into the works to get a lot of noice back.
Im not disagreeing with anything you say. I’ve taken it on board (starting to mix my metaphors a bit) and consider their value and possibilities.
I have lots of interests. No passions, though. I might need to raise the level of involvement to get to that commitment.
thanks
Of course you could always start up a blog or a Facebook page- post the details here, and anyone who wants to join you for a chat, exchange of writings and opinions etc could contact you.
We're all different, The Dingo, so what floats our boat may sink yours but this happened the other day:
My wife and I went into town and visited a shop. When we came out, there was a cop writing out a parking ticket.
We went up to him and I said, "Come on man, how about giving a senior citizen a break?" He ignored us and continued writing the ticket. I called him an "asshole." He glared at me and started writing another ticket for having worn-out tires. So Shirley (my wife) called him a "shit-head."
He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first. Then he started writing more tickets. This went on for about 20 minutes. The more we abused him, the more tickets he wrote.
He finally finished, sneered at us and walked away. Just then our bus arrived, and we got on it and went home. We try to have a little fun each day now that we're retired.
It's so important at our age!!
But seriously, we do some volunteer work which we find very satisfying. It saves the place we volunteer at money which they can use for more important things to do with helping those in need. We have found that volunteers seem to have no ego, or hidden agendas but just roll the sleeves up and have a go. It's not for everybody but maybe worth a thought. Remember, The Dingo, advice is like a smorgasbord; take what you like and leave what you don't. Good luck.
Perhaps you could join U3A, enrol in a computer class and learn how to type better English. No one can help you to get a life worth living if you believe that you have done everything. Every day new opportunities arise but you need to be looking for them. La vita e Bella. Wake up and smell the roses.
Hi Dingo,
Loving your post - so refreshing to see something on here that isn't politically based - not that I mind reading peoples views but wish they would keep it unbiased and just state the facts. I am a new retiree (almost 6 months now) and can relate to all you are saying. I have worked most of my adult life (now realising that this gave one a sense of purpose) in various job types and travelled the country in pursuing work and now suddenly find myself in this limbo and to be truthful it scares the hell out of me. Like you, I'm not sure I want to do the volunteering thing (been there and done that in the past) and am really now undecided what my actual hobbies are - thought I knew but not getting very motivated at the moment! I have decided in the last week that all this thinking is too much and have decided I am taking a "gap year" and hopefully I will settle into this new way of living and sort myself out.
I also can relate to your thoughts of Darwin. We (hubby and I) lived up there for the past 5 and a half years and when my work ended have moved back down south to settle into retirement. We loved the casual lifestyle up there BUT found it very difficult to do some of the outdoor things we thought we would be able to - due mainly to the weather being too hot and humid (and the dry is now being spoiled by all the bushfire smoke!) (Now we are struggling with the cold!!).
I am thinking of making up a daily diary with a view to maybe later having some material there for a book or such - maybe you could do the same if you're not already doing this or you could start a blog page?. Either way please keep posting as I am loving your honesty in your thoughts and can relate to them.
Thanks LCH
Some people drop into retirement like stepping into silk underwear. Others struggle like the jocks are a size too small.
i wasn’t quite ready to retire but the contractor saw otherwise. I fart-arsed about for a year or two looking for work but the queues where long and winding and the age group dynamic and muscular. I tried the intellectual approach with words of wisdom and a CV as long as a hot day in the sun but cheap wages wins out. I was too overqualified. How can you be overqualified for a gardener or a shelf stacker?
Then that strange black dog paid me a visit. Bit me on the arse, it did. Then arthritis took over; a legacy from my dear sweet arthritic, mother, bless her gnarlly fingers and scoliosis.
not that I’m complaining. I got some rest time after 50 years of working. We all need that.
My wife, Christine, took another strategy. She used up her leave, went back for a year, used up more leave on half pay, then more leave amd finally pulled the plug after 3 years of back and forth. Now she’s home all day with me. How exciting for me!
shes a family woman. Mind you, she argues with them all day. I guess it keeps her busy. I don’t have the stamens to argue. Pointless. I listen and pretend to care.
Families. Who’d have them. I should have been born an orphan.
Why does The Dingo have to Do? Why can't he just Be?
I do therefore I am.
i listened with interest to a couple of scientists discussing the modification of Descartes ideology. They suggested that we are as we are because of the necessity to move (or not move as the case might be).
i like that idea.
I struggled with this one for quite a while too. I retired two days after my 55th birthday, not entirely voluntarily either.
But I finally resolved the dilemma by asking myself: "What is it that I really care about? What is important to me? What would I like to be remembered for?"
In my case it turned out to be my revulsion at the stupidity, uselessness and the cruelty of war, so I became a peace activist.
Today I'm the unofficial, unappointed, purely volunteer, Australian coordinator for the 911 Truth Action Project, a US-based non-for-profit dedicated to finding out what really happened on 911 and to bringing the true culprits of that mass murder to justice. It keeps me going and I've found a whole new fraternity of very dedicated, very talented and highly motivated people all around the world who share the same concerns that I have about the way the world is going.
Most people who know us think that we're crazy but we now actually wear the label 'Conspiracy Theorist' with pride. 911 was definitely a conspiracy and a theory is just an explanation of what happened or what will happen in certain circumstances, so even the official theory about 911 is a 'conspiracy theory'.
It's not everyone cup of tea and I'm not on a recruiting drive here. But I am giving you the advice you asked for:
Find something that you're passionate about and throw yourself into it. Make a contribution. Give yourself a purpose in life (I often get up in the middle of the night these days to participate in teleconferences with people on the other side of the world).
You're not dead yet. You have a lifetime of experience and a huge suite of talents. Use them. Don't just sit there complaining. Do something - anything. Make up your mind about how you will personally contribute to creating a better world.
Or just sit there and do nothing - and complain, as you choose. It's your life.
Hi DavoWA
ive never met a real conspiracy theorist until now. At least, no one who would admit to it, let along wear a badge or somesuch.
Being a scientist myself, I have a tendency to go with the facts as well. But I might be one step ahead of you.
A theory isn’t “just” an explanation. There’s a lot more to it than that. Theories assist us with reliable outcomes for present and future events based on past experiences, measurement, data and facts.
Take gravity, for example. Well, actually, it’s more likely to take you. its a theory, certainly. But none of us would ever suggest it’s a conspiracy. We take it as gospel.
Take any scientific theory and you’ll find that well respected people over a long period of time have placed great faith - no, knowledge and expectations in their explanation and predictions.
there is always an element of doubt in a theory. That’s what science does. But the doubt isn’t brought about by conspiracists. It’s part of the process of ongoing investigation, adjustment, reconcilliation and prediction. And remember, theories don’t explain one thing only. They require a great deal of similar events to become valid. At the end of the day the theory will help us determine the PROBABILITY of a future eevent occurring.
now the lecture is over, might I suggest that what you are doing isn’t formulating a theory or examining an existing on but, in essence, simply questioning the factual nature of existing ideas and truths.
We all know how truth isn’t fact. Truth might be based on fact or it may not. The truth is I’m a nice bloke. Some might agree; others might not. My truth isn’t a theory; it’s an opinion based on biased observations. If you have an opinion on my nicety that differs from mine that’s not a conspiracy; that’s an opinion also formulated from biased information.
you see what I’m getting at here?
facts have been gathered about such things as 911, the Moon landing, what’s-her-names death, etc. people then use those facts to draw conclusions. They might also include some of their own biases and opinions in drawing those conclusions.
if you are serious about what you are doing, and I’m sure you are, the premise you take isn’t to state any opinion at the beginning. Stay neutral. Look at all sides of the issue. Collect the facts and verify them. Don’t be influences by opinion no matter who says it. Doubt but don’t deny what you hear.
in that way your passage to whatever conclusion you make or draw will be valued. If you don’t you’ll be seen as just another nut case.
anyone can have an opinion. That doesn’t make it a valued opinion, nor does it make it right.
and at the end of the day, ask yourself does it matter. If it matters, go for it. But as know we’re all dead soon enough. It’d be a shame to spend all ones intellect chasing mosquitoes with tweezers when we could go plant a tree or chat to a child about why worms come to the surface when it rains.
”Because they can”
Hi Dingo,
Thanks for your reply. I appreciate your pointing out the distinction between a 'theory' and an 'opinion'. I agree. A theory has widespread acceptance amongst those knowledgeable in the field. The 911 Conspiracy debate is not there yet.
Personally, I don't like the term 'theory' in this context. I prefer the term 'hypothesis' myself. But the term 'conspiracy theorist' is the label that we've been saddled with so that's what I'm responding to. I'm not sure what the scientific term is for one who considers alternative hypotheses about a particular issue, but whatever it is, I'm one of those.
I look at the various hypotheses that have been proposed about 911 and try to determine which of them is more likely to be the correct interpretation of the evidence now available in the public domain and draw conclusions based on that evidence. I think that's the basis of the Scientific Method, isn't it?
In terms of evidence and certainty about the particular hypothesis that I favour in the 911 debate, I am persuaded by the evidence collected by the Lawyers Committee for 911 Inquiry in a petition presented to the District Court for the Southern District of New York on 31st July 2018 asking the court to instruct the US Attorney for that district to refer that evidence to a Grand Jury for further investigation (a copy of that petition can be found on that committee's website).
The Lawyers leading that case say that, in their opinion, that evidence is 'Dispositive', which, I believe, is a legal term meaning 'conclusive' or 'beyond doubt'. Whether the court considers it to be so and orders the US Attorney to refer that evidence to a Grand Jury remains to be seen. The US Attorney advised on 7th November 2018 that he will comply with the law which requires him to do so but has since refused to confirm or deny whether he has actually done so.
The Lawyers Committee is planning to go back to court in the near future to request the court to issue a Writ of Mandamus ordering the US Attorney to confirm that he has empanelled a Grand Jury and submitted the evidence to it or not. If not, this new petition will ask the court to order him to do so. Again, the court will decide whether to issue such an order.
For anyone who loves 'who done its' this is the granddaddy of them all.
:) Welcome The Dingo.
Retirement for many is not easy IMO ... hard to find a fit to substitute for the success, camaraderie and fulfilment of a previously complex professional life.
So many 'retirement thingies' just pale by comparison.
All the best.
Hahaha see how many friends you have now dingo! Even Shetso came in to spread the love.
Have fun and always look on the bright side of things!
A laugh a minute is it?
”You’re not even remotely funny,” Christine asserts at most of my conversational contributions.
i must thank all of you for your comments, contributions, information and ideas.
i feel as though I can go on with my retirement with the assurance that I will be busy, if only to find all the suggestions you have offered.
as they say: keep busy. Make a list.
ill move on to another subject as soon as I find something that will create as much dissertation.
let me see.
religion?
money?
horse racing?
recipes?
books I’ve not read?
............
Okay, this seems to be the in thread for today. I ask meself, if someone doesn't like where they live and what they're doing, why not change direction,weak character maybe??
Hmm, that said dingo old boy, I read you are a scientist, so am I. If it's not a secret, what field of science are you in?
Maybe, ABE. Maybe. It may also be that other factors are prioritised. you know how it is. If the alternative leaves you worse off than the current situation and other dilemmas.
i made a decision 20 years ago that where ever Christine was I would be right there with her.
Nothing has changed. That’s all I need really. Her company and companionship. The rest is just a hair coat.
I told her when we first decided to live together if she ever left me she’d need to take me with her.
Its a love story. What more can I say?
As for my science background, I have a degree in Applied physics and a masters degree in Psychology and Special education. I went straight from uni to teaching and stayed there. I love teaching. I’ve taught every age group up to our age group in all sorts of places and all manner of subjects. Physics is my expertise in secondary school and uni. Photography is my sideline I do after hours. I ended my career as an advisor to parents and teachers with children with a vision impairment. That’s my trick up my sleeve at parties. I am fluent in Braille.
So, what’s your story?
My story, hmm. Now let me see, I’m not as good a story teller as you appear to be dingo. You’ve been on this forum for quite a while so I imagine by now you pretty much know “my story.” Anyway to recap in a nutshell: my field is molecular biology (you can read some of my articles in Journal of Molecular Biology) and my wife marine biology, together we are working on a project. Let’s get back to your story.
So you’re a scientist. Here’s the thing, a degree in Physics does not make you a scientist. A degree in Psychology and Special Education does not make you a scientist. Although an admirable profession, teaching does not make you a scientist. To lecture at Uni a doctorate is usually required or at the very least a Masters in your field of Science, but that still does not make you a scientist, it simply says you have the credentials to get a job in that field of science. Sadly, many people with science degrees know very little about science. Having a degree doesn't make you a scientist. To be a scientist you have to employ the scientific method to research and publish your findings, submit your findings to a Journal for peer review. Have you done that? Frankly sick of people with a science degree calling themselves “scientist”.
Hava good day:)
Hi Dingo I thought you wrote earlier you were a cabinet maker. Where did that fit in?
When I retired 10 years ago friends said "You will have to find a hobby". I refused saying I would take my then two dogs to the park and watch the grass grow. This lasted for 3 months until I nearly went nuts, I tried voluntary work at an aged complex but was treated like dirt. Ditto with the RSPCA. So I started doing my Family Tree.
Now some 10, frustrating at times, years later its completed but each time I have it printed some very distant relative pops up from across the country or UK with more snippets of info.
Plus I get time to correspond with you charming lot LOL
I don’t see how anyone could be bored with Darwin. I spent three months there for work and enjoyed every day, perhaps the wet season not so great. I used Darwin as a base for many trips, the most exciting being Kakadu.
Like beauty, boredom is in the mind of the beholder. Get out there and make things happen! Moaning and groaning won't get you anywhere dingo. You say you stopped working 10 years ago and are now 72, surely 10 years is long enough to find what interests you?