What in the world do you do all day?

Gardenlover

Gardenlover

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Ever notice that once people find out you’re retired, they eventually hit you with the same question:
“So… what do you do all day?”

Sometimes it’s genuine curiosity, sometimes it sounds a little judgmental, and sometimes it’s coming from someone who secretly wishes they were retired too!

I thought it might be fun to start a thread where we can share our answers, both the real ones and the smart-aleck ones.

So…

What DO you do all day?
Do you have hobbies that fill your time?
Are you busier now than when you worked?
Do you enjoy the freedom of doing absolutely nothing?
Have friends or family ever made you feel like you should “justify” your time?
What’s your go-to reply when someone asks?

Whether you’re living your best retired life or still figuring out your new routine, I’d love to hear how others approach this question.
 

Before I retired, I amassed a huge collection of books and movies. After I get in my morning exercise and walk about 2 miles, I enjoy doing absolutely nothing but reading, tv, movies, napping then doing it all over again. Having travelled all the world with the U.S. military and a U.S. military dependent as a child, I'm not missing anything. I have a very comfortable couch and lazy boy. I'm good.
 

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I personally think there are less hours in the day now that I’m retired… something weird going on with the clocks! But, mostly I work in my yard, and I do lots of various craft and art projects. I put many of my items on consignment in various local places and make a few extra dollars. I also have a part time job working about 13 hours a week. The income from that has paid for new tires and most of my new dental implant.
 
I have been fully retired since 2012 and nobody has ever asked me that question. The most I might get asked is “are you keeping busy?” What that really means is how are you feeling and are you still able to do the work you want to do? It is not an in your face point the finger question.

I know that sounds hokey, but where I live people respect the elderly and the right for them to do nothing or whatever they want. Me running this farm in my old age is not a rarity in this county, it is more common than many might think. This is an Ag county, so people are used to doing hard work until they just can’t do it anymore.

For me that’s run this small farm and tend to the last of my horses. I stay busy. I’m busier than when I was working because I don’t get around as well these days, so things take longer to get done. Or I have to hire them done, which is annoying.
 
Gardenlover said:
Ever notice that once people find out you’re retired, they eventually hit you with the same question:
“So… what do you do all day?”

Sometimes it’s genuine curiosity, sometimes it sounds a little judgmental, and sometimes it’s coming from someone who secretly wishes they were retired too!

I thought it might be fun to start a thread where we can share our answers, both the real ones and the smart-aleck ones.

So…

What DO you do all day?
Do you have hobbies that fill your time?
Are you busier now than when you worked?
Do you enjoy the freedom of doing absolutely nothing?
Have friends or family ever made you feel like you should “justify” your time?
What’s your go-to reply when someone asks?

Whether you’re living your best retired life or still figuring out your new routine, I’d love to hear how others approach this question.
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I've recently noticed some of the young generation are really mad we're retired and try insulting us with the 'Boomer' name calling. Like their problems are our fault.
 
My wife and I moved mid July this year to another country. We have been very busy until now with our new house and garden and doing all the administrative paperwork.

Until the end of the year we have still to install some extra bookshelves for my abundance of books.
In the next year we must begin to learn a new very difficult language and travel through the country from time to time.
 
There are some stretches in the winter when I can just read, write something, listen to music, or (if the snow is in good shape) go out cross-country skiing. Or maybe visit a friend. Plus use the snowblower to manage the white stuff. Other seasons involve property and equipment maintenance, garden planting & nurturing, making something that will be useful around the place, and harvesting in the Fall.

I always alternate with my wife in providing the evening meal. We get together with friends on Sunday morning for coffee and a croissant at a local cafe during the whole year.
 
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Gardenlover said:
Have friends or family ever made you feel like you should “justify” your time?
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My cousins (the only family I have left) are past retirement age and still work. They have made off hand remarks against people who retire, but they don't seriously question me about what I do, and they know better, since I would let them know that I have no obligation to explain my activities to them. But it is ME who feels I have to justify my time (to myself).

If it's a cold rainy day, I can just sit there and watch back-to-back movies and relax guilt free. Otherwise, it gets me very down if I don't do at least something productive each day, however small it may be.

Planning/cooking my meals, washing clothes, paying bills, working on my journal / books, checking my box mail downtown; recently did some minor repair to some bad wood on the exterior of the house, and now volunteering a few hours for the food distribution - none of that sounds important, but at least it's something. I cannot handle sitting still for very long at a time.
 
Well the first big accomplishment is getting out out bed...I love my bed. During the day I neaten up the place if need be, either spin wool or knit on a project ---right now it's socks and I am nearly finished with the red pair. I watch movies on occasion and read. I also take on a few geneology cases for people and have fun wih that.
 
Gardenlover said:
So…

What DO you do all day?
Do you have hobbies that fill your time?
Are you busier now than when you worked?
Do you enjoy the freedom of doing absolutely nothing?
Have friends or family ever made you feel like you should “justify” your time?
What’s your go-to reply when someone asks?
Click to expand...

I spend a lot of time thinking about things I should be doing. :D

What do I do all day? I mostly aim to take it easy. I walk my dog. I give my dog snacks.

Hobbies? Listening to music.

Busier now? No. Not even remotely close.

Do I enjoy the freedom? Hmmmm no, not really. It's difficult when you've done something all your life, but now try to learn a new way of living.
 
Not as much as I'd like, actually. I exercise, journal, cook in the mornings and take three dog walks a day. I have time, daily, with husband and boyfriend, but there are pockets of the day that get a bit too long, where I'd really like to lose myself in a project, but I can't yet settle on one I think would really focus my attention.

I would love to volunteer at a horse rescue again, but my hips aren't going to let me, anymore. There is a new update coming out for Animal Crossing in January and I'm anticipating that will reignite my Animal Crossing obsession.

And boyfriend and I are talking about maybe getting into the Pokemon card game over the Nintendo Switch. I've never played it, but always wanted to when the kids were into it.
 

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