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Retirement, pros, cons, opinions and advice

Im sorry to read this, there is a life better than this, but when you cheat you creator, thats becomes in question. I believe he put me here, and only he gets to decide how i leave here.

I look back at the life i lived, and question why he has blessed me the way he has. I cared for my father who died with cancer his last week's suffering and it truly scares mm knowing how he suffered, and the things i may pay for in the end days.

But one thing i cant do, is tell God after the life he has allowed, how he is allowed to take me!

That decision will be his, as I have to believe telling him I dont care for the way he chooses me to leave this life, in the final minutes is not his choice. If pissing myself is what he chooses, just maybe its because of some of the choices i made, and I can't imagine what not allowing him to make me pay my dues for things I chose over what he instructs, he will do when i finally meat him. But one thing is for sure, i will pay for them, and if i take my life from his choice how he takes it, just how will i pay for that as well, when i do meet him?

And we all will meet him, make that last choice Wisely!

I follow the creed of Buddhism and Karma. Buddhists are not against suicide unless if causes others to suffer. My wife and soul mate would suffer greatly if she saw me confined to a soiled bed staring at a revolving ceiling fan.
 
You THINK you know when your life will end???? Pull the trigger or pop those pills and end up living for another life time like a rotten vegetable??
I'll let God decide when my time on earth is done. HE brought me into this world so he can take me out anytime he wants. ;)
 
I have seen too many men retire from military, government service or construction and be dead within 2-4 years after they retired to their favorite cabin on the lake.
You see this and hear about this all the time but no one really knows if it is true or it was just your time. You could have been still working and the same thig can happen. If they enjoyed those 2-4 years then good for you and the goal was met that you were able to retire.

While there is truth and health reasons why you should stay active mentally and physically, none of us other the man upstairs know when your number is up. Take advantage of the short time you are on this rock as the clock ticks down every second.
 
I follow the creed of Buddhism and Karma. Buddhists are not against suicide unless if causes others to suffer. My wife and soul mate would suffer greatly if she saw me confined to a soiled bed staring at a revolving ceiling fan.
Good Luck with that, we are all free to believe what we choose, but I've found everything stated in the Bible to have been 100%, I have to take it even what I see around me today 1000's of years later, it has proven to be fact! I'll go his way.
 
Retirement is great.

I will be 73 this year. I retired, retired May 2011. 2014 I decided to learn how to do my own barrels. With @butchlambert helping me, I managed to get started. He gifted me a bunch of tooling, jigs, and measuring tools. Now, though with 3 lathes, and a Bridgeport in the garage, I am still not in the business. Just primarily doing barrels for the TX JRs Rifle Team. My community service. A rewarding one, seeing kids go distinguish and make President's Hundred using my barrels from donated Shilen blanks.

Wife and I are done traveling overseas, we did Europe and Asia before retirement. Now, our travels are within CONUS. In 2013, I asked the her if she wants to go for a ride. Pack clothes for a week. Six weeks later, we were back. No plans, no specific place to go, or where to spend the night. Made hotel reservations on the fly. Stop at coffee shops along the way. Sampled local restaurants. Easy days.

We drive up to NoVa twice a year to hang out with grandkids. No more flying.

Pretty much checked off my retirement bucket list. One still blank is a nice bull Elk on the ground. Four years coming up empty even with the help of a guide, maybe 2025 is the year.
 
You THINK you know when your life will end???? Pull the trigger or pop those pills and end up living for another life time like a rotten vegetable??
I'll let God decide when my time on earth is done. HE brought me into this world so he can take me out anytime he wants. ;)
Why like a rotten vegetable? I have lived my entire life coincidentally following along the lines of the 10 commandments. I have treated people like I want to be treated, helped them, never lied to take advantage of people, helped people out of my pocket, put my life on the line to keep others safe etc etc. So why would I wind up in the rotten cabbage pile If I took a bullet to relieve my loved one? There are 1000's of 'Gods' worshipped around the world and the most popular ones are waaaay older than the Christian God. I don't even know if I am living my life right now or it is just an illusion. It all boils down to Karma in my opinion, Look up what Karma is and you will find it very similar to your beliefs.
 
Why like a rotten vegetable? I have lived my entire life coincidentally following along the lines of the 10 commandments. I have treated people like I want to be treated, helped them, never lied to take advantage of people, helped people out of my pocket, put my life on the line to keep others safe etc etc. So why would I wind up in the rotten cabbage pile If I took a bullet to relieve my loved one? There are 1000's of 'Gods' worshipped around the world and the most popular ones are waaaay older than the Christian God. I don't even know if I am living my life right now or it is just an illusion. It all boils down to Karma in my opinion, Look up what Karma is and you will find it very similar to your beliefs.
I would echo the "good luck with that" comments. Not for religious or spiritual reasons of any kind. For reasons of the realities of the human condition. The bottom line is that you may not be ambulatory or cognizant enough to be capable of choosing your exit. A motorcycle, 4 wheeler or car accident could render you paralyzed or in a coma. A heart attack or stroke that you live through but leaves you severely disabled can occur. An illness that you think you'll recover from until you can no longer feed yourself could happen. Of all the possibilities of how one exits the material world most do not leave you the option of checking out on your own. If you are ambulatory and cognizant enough to do the deed then you would be classified as mentally ill should you choose that option. And that is how you will be remembered by everyone you know.
 
I would echo the "good luck with that" comments. Not for religious or spiritual reasons of any kind. For reasons of the realities of the human condition. The bottom line is that you may not be ambulatory or cognizant enough to be capable of choosing your exit. A motorcycle, 4 wheeler or car accident could render you paralyzed or in a coma. A heart attack or stroke that you live through but leaves you severely disabled can occur. An illness that you think you'll recover from until you can no longer feed yourself could happen. Of all the possibilities of how one exits the material world most do not leave you the option of checking out on your own. If you are ambulatory and cognizant enough to do the deed then you would be classified as mentally ill should you choose that option. And that is how you will be remembered by everyone you know.

It is unique that followers of the Christian faith do not accept other philosophies of faith. We are all other good people in our life on earth ot not.
 
In college I had 3 semesters of World Religions and Religious Studies because it ALL is so interesting to me. For 2 of those Semesters the instructors name was David Lane.

He was the son of an LA lawyer and he himself a devout Roman Catholic. He could present Catholicism and the SkyClad Monks from Jainism with equal fervor. I always dug that about him. That and he was a surfer.

I myself am Christian but to deny someone else's spiritual beliefs because they differ from mine always seemed arrogant. As long as they are living a "Good" life, not hurting but rather helping people.

ALL people.

Understand I'm not referring to anyone in this thread, just adding to Tesoro's post.
 
It's not a matter of good or not. Some of the best people I know are better than good people but don't know Jesus. It's not what I can do but what He done on the cross. I'm not putting anyone down and not knowing Jesus doesn't in anyway make anyone inferior to me. Is there another religion that can say it's not what you can do for your god but what God done for you? I'm scared of retirement honestly. I'm only 45 but my wife has not worked in 19 years to be a stay at home mom (and now with a new baby I'll be 63 when this one graduates) so she won't have any money coming in. I built my house in 2020 and it is paid for though. I drive trash vehicles I only pay cash for that of which i usually have to fix. Ive put into 401k for the last 257 years but even if I had about 250k that would be $1000 a month for 20 years when I retire before any fees taxes. My little textile company I work for is one of the last places that offer a pension outside of some type of tax funded job and it isn't much at all but it is something.
 
As I mentioned earlier in this thread I stepped out of retirement to work with a buddy in The Hamptons. I love it out there, although this time of the year the traffic getting into The Hamptons sucks. While the project went fine and I enjoyed working I realized again retirement is awesome! I don't miss working one bit!!!! You get one shot at life, enjoy it to its fullest.
 
I think I could hit the "like" button on all of these, I was an independent insurance adjuster for the last 20 years, also did flood work, Denham Springs & Baton Rouse in 2016, worked the floods of Houston in 2017, KY and IN in 2018 and so on, I love helping people and doing the best I can. One thing you can add (even if you don't like it you will learn to love it) READ! Read a little bit of everything. Don't quit doing "things", get out and stay active!! You'll thank yourself later. I just started playing golf again and really enjoying that, first round out on Monday was a 94 (didn't enjoy that too much) yesterday was an 81 with 2 double bogies on the first 2 par 3s. Maybe getting back to form.
If you have hard feelings against family, try to work those out, be humble and make restitution. Family and close friends are worth more than gold. Lastly, get to know God, you'll have a better ending to your life.
 
It is unique that followers of the Christian faith do not accept other philosophies of faith. We are all other good people in our life on earth ot not.
I dont think I am one bit better than you, but I am a christian. That means I believe it is impossible to get to heaven without understanding and believing the only way is to accept the fact that Jesus died on the cross for all of mankinds sin, and without that belief, no man can go to God.

Trust me, I'm no angle, and many are better at good deeds and kindness, but without accepting Jesus death on the cross for my sins, I don't believe I have a chance of the next life. That also means to believe that, there is no other God.

I mean really, someone has a God, but there are other God's? Only one could be responsible for life, even if you belive I came from an amoeba or a grain of dust, only the one true God could have created it. I will never believe it just started from whatever, and the bible is the only thing i have ever read that i find no false remarks in, and the world still does exactly as it states it will!

But, I'm no Angle, no mater how hard I try, but i continue to work on that. As for Karma, ya, a 42 foot fall head first many agree it was Karma. The fact is, it was a wake up call, the Lord rewards, and the Lord punishes, and trust me, that is Karma in a nutshell! At least in my life, i believe!
 
It's not a matter of good or not. Some of the best people I know are better than good people but don't know Jesus. It's not what I can do but what He done on the cross. I'm not putting anyone down and not knowing Jesus doesn't in anyway make anyone inferior to me. Is there another religion that can say it's not what you can do for your god but what God done for you? I'm scared of retirement honestly. I'm only 45 but my wife has not worked in 19 years to be a stay at home mom (and now with a new baby I'll be 63 when this one graduates) so she won't have any money coming in. I built my house in 2020 and it is paid for though. I drive trash vehicles I only pay cash for that of which i usually have to fix. Ive put into 401k for the last 257 years but even if I had about 250k that would be $1000 a month for 20 years when I retire before any fees taxes. My little textile company I work for is one of the last places that offer a pension outside of some type of tax funded job and it isn't much at all but it is something.
Yep, having a eternal life in Heaven sounds like a good retirement plan to me.
 
Retirement is great.

I will be 73 this year. I retired, retired May 2011. 2014 I decided to learn how to do my own barrels. With @butchlambert helping me, I managed to get started. He gifted me a bunch of tooling, jigs, and measuring tools. Now, though with 3 lathes, and a Bridgeport in the garage, I am still not in the business. Just primarily doing barrels for the TX JRs Rifle Team. My community service. A rewarding one, seeing kids go distinguish and make President's Hundred using my barrels from donated Shilen blanks.

Wife and I are done traveling overseas, we did Europe and Asia before retirement. Now, our travels are within CONUS. In 2013, I asked the her if she wants to go for a ride. Pack clothes for a week. Six weeks later, we were back. No plans, no specific place to go, or where to spend the night. Made hotel reservations on the fly. Stop at coffee shops along the way. Sampled local restaurants. Easy days.

We drive up to NoVa twice a year to hang out with grandkids. No more flying.

Pretty much checked off my retirement bucket list. One still blank is a nice bull Elk on the ground. Four years coming up empty even with the help of a guide, maybe 2025 is the year.
For you that don't know Nez, you would really like him. He is a very good, gracious, and kind man. He is a retired engineer and a very talented machinist. The Texas State Junior Shooters are very fortunate to have him.
It is easy to work with a person with his education and mechanical aptitude.
Unfortunately he cannot build a rifle for his brother that will shoot a 250-25x every time!
 
l retired @ 47 from the government. Then re-retired @ 70 in 2016. Still lots of prairie dogs to shoot. Approaching 79 in September l seem to be making more doctor visits than RANGE visits. Today it's a RANGE visit!
Jesus Christ will decide my last day on Earth. He made me to do as HE pleases for HIS Glory!

Back from the range: Took my 40X in 222Rem Mag w/12X Leupold AO. Shot some 30gr Bergers @4133fps!
27.5 inches of Remington's finest stainless steel makes my bullets fly straight and FAST. Gun is totally stock..
Load is straight from Bergers Manuel. Jarrett's tuner measured two 3shot groups @ .295" & .345"... First time on the range in a month. Great Day. Thanks. 282
 
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OK!! back to retiring or not!
With that, I know many folks that just aint happy retiring. I would have loved to still be doing my job, had I not fell. I truly loved the start of my day 100's of feet in the air playing with my own man sized erector set. Throwing tons of iron in place out in the wide open spaces.

Or in the middle of a foundry, steel mill, or power house, with several tons or several tens of tons that needed removed, replaced or installed, with no means of getting a crane or big enough fork truck in to do the lifting and maneuvering. That was what I loved even more than the money.

It really aint work if you love doing it, and many feel the same way. Some will have a home shop and still do what they did even after they retire as their hobby.

Its an individual thing, and only you know what is right for you. Some need 5k a month and fine dinning daily with 2 newer vehicles in the drive, and some being on top of the frequent fliers list.

Then some can be quite happy in a camper, eating off their deck, making their own flies for bait, to catch supper tonight. Drive a well maintained 20 year old vehicle that don't talk back to you, and goes anywhere they want to go. Living on 2k a month and smiling ear to ear.

The one thing few mention is HEALTH! Health can be one of those things that you just cant Buy!, PREDICT, OR GUARANTEE! One thing you can be sure of, is that at some point it will fail for you. So if there are things you have worked your whole life to be able to do, do it before its to late.

For me once I do that, money becomes a whole lot different priority. It don't take that much to survive when you own everything, and all your bills are only taxes on what you own, utility bills, and food. But like i said, we all have different ideas of what makes us happy. Only you can decide that.

Lake property to me is not high property to me if it comes with extreme taxes, 4 bedrooms that lay empty, a 2 1/2car garage with the half for the 60k Bass boat. Same with traveling, I don't need 5star with continental breakfast, or a private B&B, under the stars and in the wilderness is more important to me and what does matter, is where, and what I do when I do it, and what I reap from it mentally, to hell with what others like, think, or approve of.
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I like it peaceful, and hate crowds, I just wish i had more time to do it, and as long as my health doesn't get any worse, I could not be more content. Many don't get that opportunity,,,,,,, don't wait to long!
 

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