Retiree confessions...

[seadoug]

No one believes my confession!

As a type A everyone doubted I could retire successfully, but I have. Turns out I like living at a slower pace, I enjoy not worrying about accomplishing a hundred things a day.

So when I confess that it turns out I'm a lazy bum no one believes me.

I believe you because that is my same confession. I'm also a Type A and was constantly on email, multi-tasking and working well into the evening. Now I don't miss it at all. I've been approached about a couple of consulting gigs, but I've turned them down because I know I would go back into Type A mode and work much longer hours than necessary.

 

[Blessed]

You strike me as a kind person. I'm sorry you don't feel better about yourself.

I enjoy taking care of others. Now I have found myself on the other side of that equation. I struggle everyday so now I know how just the little things can make such a big difference to others. I will always be grateful that I was able to make others happy, that I could give them the gift of no worry when they needed it. I have to admit that now I have run out of strength to take care of others. The best I can do is cook them a good meal, bake them some bread or cookies.

I feel good about myself, I have been a good person, I have given many the care they needed at the time. The fact is that I have given all my strength and energy to others. Now, it is a struggle to take care of myself and my dogs. I feel like others still look to me for help that I am no longer able to give. It is not a lack of concern but a decline of physical strength and emotional support they may need.

I need those things but I don't have that now. People seem to think that we are retired so what prevents us from giving the support they need. They don't understand we have physical and mental exhaustion and we just have nothing left to give.

 

[Been There]

As you build for others you're building for yourself rewards not seen yet, but to come.

I do these things to keep busy because I am alone. Maybe if it weren't for that fact, I would be more "normal." My psychologist dislikes the word "normal" because he said what's normal for you may not be normal for me. When people talk like that, it seems like a play on words, but I guess there is some logic to it. Or, as Spock says "Is there?"