Early retirement pros and cons

I sort of retired around 42 due to my illness. I was put on disability. I reentered the workforce part time around 6 months ago in order to have the money to buy and fix up my new house and get married. I am 52 now and still receive disability and am able to work part time. Its difficult to fix up a house on disability alone. My wife is also disabled as she has hydrocepholus(spelling?) . A condition where liquid accumulates on the brain without drainage. It primarily causes her some mild memory issues and balance issues.

I honestly would like to be able to retire again at some point but fixing up a house is an expensive proposition and Im not sure I will be able to for awhile.

Prior to my diagnosis I worked about 25 years.
 
Read most of the post in this discussion. My experience after retiring in 2003 is that retirement is a myth. I enjoyed 3 weeks and then didn't know what to do. I was 55 then. Went back to work as a contractor and I am still working at 77. Retirement is a myth. We may not be rich but we worked hard to make a life which we can be proud of. We were not visionaries, we didn't see the future. We just worked, paid the bills. Watched our kids grow up. Supported them however possible and moved on.
Am I tired?..........yes, but I did all that I could do? Yes and for that I apologize to no one. My family can take care of it self. Don't need support. Don't need help making it thru. Didn't end up in Florida playing golf everyday but, I don't want to live in Florida and how much Golf can you play in a week??
Retirement is a myth. You work , (or do something that you enjoy), until you can't. You do everything you did before and keep doing it. Enjoy your grandchildren, watch them grow. Think back when they were babies and look at them now marvel at how grown up they are. As we said in Vietnam......It is what it is!.
I struggle everyday with my thoughts. Will I fall and break a hip. My life will change. Will I be able to pay the bills and know what I am doing?
Just my thoughts. No answers just what is going thru my senior brain. Don't need help. Just trying to help others with the same thoughts as mine.
Have a good evening and hopefully you sleep all night and don't have to go pee:)
bob
 
I'm among the few on this forum who are in our 70s and still working some. DH & I dramatically ratcheted down our business ten years ago, fully intending to retire completely at age 70. We kept on past that age because we enjoy the work and are quite fond of the wholesale customers we've kept. We aren't greedy with our pricing, work from home, and our schedules are largely our own.

A surprising number of retired friends express envy that we're still engaged in the working world. They miss the social and mental engagement, as I would if I were retired.

We have plenty of time for family, friends, vacations and other activities. We usually have our two littlest GKs one day a week each, sometimes more. They haven't yet reached kindergarten age, so ditching preschool or nursery care isn't an issue.

For me, working isn't all—or even mostly—about money.
 
I don't feel anyone should work full time. Ever. We were not created to do such. We were created to live in the Garden of Eden caring for animals & the environment. Fish. Nature is so important. Grow food, eat food as it was intended. Studies prove dirt acts as a natural anti-depressant. We do the opposite eating processed junk & poisons. To be inside a building for 8 hrs straight working is counter to our genetic make up. We are to stay fit. Be active. Honestly, we're pretty lazy but we do exercise regularly, keep our weight at a good level I enjoy being inside the house much of the day. But we are generally outside for at least a few hrs
 
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