It's been over thirty years since John D. MacDonald died. He wrote a series of mysteries between 1964 and 1984 featuring Travis McGee, a "salvage consultant". There were 21 books in all.
McGee's schtick was that he retrieved unrecoverable property for a 50% fee. He explained to potential clients that they had nothing and that 50% was better than 0%.
Anyway, when McGee was flush with cash from a job, he would take a little bit of retirement.
As I creep into my elder years, I have come to appreciate the wisdom of McGee's approach to life. I've met too many people who have reached their retirement with conditions that precluded them from doing what they would have wanted to: Arthritis, macular degeneration, diabetes, cardiac issues, memory impairments, so on and so forth. They put their dreams on hold and now those dreams have become unattainable.
Everyone had good reasons: Marriage, children, career. Maybe it wasn't possible to take off for long stretches of time. In those cases, things are what they are. Needs must, and all that. But, if you can, take some time and do some of the things that you dream of doing when you are of an age and physical condition to do them.
This is not personal to me. I took some time at different points in my life to do things.
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My best line for retirement while healthy....
Now that I've grown up what shall I do. For sure it will not
be nothing and I can afford to be a trouble.
And so it's time wear purple and maybe misbehave.
Eck!
I don't feel bad about my "chase your dream" quotient, if anything I may have overdone it a little...
-Doug in Oakland
I read him early on (teens), and due to circumstances, signed a contract with Uncle Sugar to 'See the World' (as the slogan went back then). Signed for six, wound up doing just over twenty. Was able to see a lot while I was young, and most of it was during peacetime, so I could do it tourist style. So while I couldn't retire from time to time, I did get a bit of world travel in while I didn't have any barriers. Looking back, about thirty five years from my initial contract, I'd say it was a good bargain.
You might like the Lawrence Block's Hit Man series. He cools his heels in Manhattan. I bought a '69 427/390 Corvette at 23 and never looked back.
We did the house two kids and a dog thing while engineering cars and grocery stores. As we got a wee bit older we got bored and stressed but we were fortunate enough to have the brains to fight off the 'keeping up with the neighbors' syndrome. We cashed out and are into our 5th year sailing the Caribbean. Maybe it's 6. I forget.
Some say we are lucky but I say we were frugal. Never had the nicest things or luxuries except a snowblower. Shoveling snow will kill you. Anyways, cheers from Grenada!
P
I must confess, I personally have hit the jackpot. I am now retired and living with my ex wife, on her disability and my social security. We live at the end of the road on an abandoned highway. I have a 180 degree shooting range at my fence, and a whole world of game at my door. I don't hunt anymore, since I can buy my food, but I do watch and track the game thru here. The heat is wood and I have a half lifetime of cutting wood, one way or another. A 2000 1/2 ton Ford, 4x4 and I worked on those for a living, back when.
I was an Auto Mechanic for over 25 years, and I had my share of crap befall me.
I am health enough to get by now, that is what matters most.
I have no need of "the world" and I'd just as soon 'they' leave me alone.
Comfortable and happy, is my way of life.
I do feel sorry for those that aren't there.
w3ski
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