Over the years, my husband and I have talked about what it would take to
retire. While neither of us is even close to this stage (and we've
still got multiple children to put through college), being on vacation
in a place where lots of people are retired made me think a little about
what I might do...
1. Swim every day. Not swim intensely for exercise or physical
fitness--that's a not-retired way of thinking. Swim just to swim, or
float, or just stand in the pool. Just because it feels good.
2. Do away with alarm clocks. Sleep when I want. Wake up when I feel like it.
3. Go out when I want. And, more importantly, stay home any time I like, because there isn't always somewhere I need to be.
4. Read--unencumbered by alarm clocks and places I need to be.
Perhaps the fact that I am beginning to rise earlier, ready to be out
and have things to do, means that I have a while before I'm ready to
retire. And those kids to send to college mean it will be a while before
I can. But there are things about retirement that we can,
perhaps, incorporate even now. We may be bound by alarm clocks and
places to go, but sometimes, just sometimes, we can choose how to spend
our days, a little more than we actually do. Whether for swimming or
reading or just staying home when we like, we can carve out little
pieces of retirement for ourselves, long before we get to retiring. And
maybe, just maybe, that will make working--and coming back from
vacations--just a little bit easier.
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