Thoughts on Retirement

I am approaching retirement as I write this; about 16 months (485, give or take a few days, but whose counting?

A lot of thoughts are going through my mind as I get closer to that time that many look forward to with great joy and many dread. Having worked since I got out of school, it is hard to imagine an existence where there will not be the daily obligation to get up and go to an office. Work for me has generally not been unpleasant although some jobs were more fun than others. There will be a void of about 10 hours a day, including commuting time, not to mention, or maybe to mention, the financial void created by the lack of a paycheck. 

Soon I will have all of that extra time. "Every day is a Saturday," says my friend, Ray. But, the money will stop coming in too. My spouse assures me that we are financially O.K. for the next 55 years. I plan to live to 120. After all, some people do, so why not me? And, there is a financial incentive to do so. I have a $1.00 bet with my granddaughter, Pippi, that I will live that long. Retirement is no time to be losing a dollar, so I have to reach my goal. Pippi won't ever have to pay me a dollar if I win because when I do reach 120, she will be a senior citizen and I'll let her off the hook because of her age.

But, I digress. I was commenting that I will no longer have a steady job or a paycheck. What will I do with myself? She Who Must Be Obeyed has had no difficulty coming up with a list of things to keep my little grey cells and my weary body active. But, shouldn't there come a time when you get to put your feet up, your head back and sip the Scotch?

There was an article in Time magazine recently that told of a study that proved that older men were at less risk for heart trouble if they had two drinks a day (women can have one drink). A while ago My doctor asked me if I had a drink every day. I said that I did not, which was and still is true. He said that I should, quoting some studies that proved the benefits of doing so. Who am I to dispute both my doctor and Time magazine? I do question one part of the Time article in which it says that you shouldn't have your entire weekly allotment at one time. Fiddlesticks. I want to be as healthy as I can and I have a lot of catching up to do.