One of those jobs is engineering. I think it's true of any job where
one's identity and job might eventually become indistinguishable and
the job becomes the reason for living each day.

Ed already has plans and schemes: build a boat, go fishing for
pickerel. Other interests and passions will pop up. He'll write
about whateverthehell he wants to write about, and won't really care
whether or not some editor somewhere likes what he's written or not.

That's freedom!

Another retiree I know, a name well-known to old RCM'rs, is now
writing novels.

What keeps us alive is having a reason to be alive: excitement and
anticipation of what we're going to do and enjoy today and tomorrow
and next week. Having a good partner for the journey helps a LOT.

Today, 17 years and 3 months after retiring ... I'm going fishing as
soon as it warms up a little outside. Saturday we're going to a grape
stomp at a local winery. Next week, back to town for this 'n that. I
have three little shop project ideas in my little notebook. I'm
helping a fellow RCM'r to get started with anodizing aluminum. I have
a new computer waiting for me to "move into". I haven't designed a
circuit in at least two weeks ... been fishing! The last circuit I
designed was for a very bright LED spotlight to illuminate my American
flag at night. Except for the Cree XM-L2 LED, it used '90s technology
and parts because that's what I had in my goodie box and I don't need
to make a competitive product -- I only need to make one.

The circuit before that was for the 3-watt "bugfree" LED light. It
lights up the whole deck for cleaning fish after dark, is visible from
across the lake 1.25 miles distant. It's a very narrow-spectrum amber
color that bugs can't see. This was Mark III. I gave Mark II to one
of my good neighbors at the lake.




On Tue, 13 Sep 2016 00:11:59 -0400, Ed Huntress
wrote:

On Mon, 12 Sep 2016 21:07:31 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

Ignoramus7822 wrote:

Awesome! I hope that you enjoy your retirement for a long time!

Actually, that time period is a concern. A BBC article says: "... in some jobs, average life expectancy after retirement is just 18 months". Here's the website:
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-18952037

Gee, thanks for the encouragement, Bruce. g

Seriously, I would be worried about hard-core retirement. But I don't
think I'll ever stop my writing work. I'm just severing all
connections with deadlines, employment, and related things. I think
that just stopping work itself is a good way to make yourself age
faster.

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