Retirement's all about choices

October 8, 12:56 PMOrlando Senior ExaminerTom Holbrook

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'Is this all there is......?'

This thing called retirement is something you really have to get used to.  All you guys and gals out there who have just taken that big step to 'stop working' or that other bunch of you who are contemplating it... hear this... retirement can be the absolute best time of your life, OR it can be the absolute worse time of your life.  The neat thing is that, just like everything else in your life, you get to choose which it will be.  A couple of guys I know are retired and their experience at work helped shape their attitudes about their retirement and hopefully you can get insight from their situation.

I play golf with a guy who worked 40 years for Ford Motor Company in Detroit, MI.  He was a UAW union member and talks about the perks he received as a member of this union.  He says that in the 40 years of employment for which he was paid, and paid well, he probably actually worked the equivalent of 5 or 6 years.  The rest of the time he spent in the cafeteria, union lounge room, and/or a special hide-out on the roof playing cards with his fellow union members.  Everyone knew about it yet no one did anything about it... the union was too powerful for management to buck.

Compare him with another buddy that worked for a non-union firm that demanded and got a true 40 hour work week (more sometimes) and was well paid for his time.  when he retired he told me, 'Those guys really took care of me and when I left they threw me a great going away party and I've got fantastic retirement benefits.  I'm going to enjoy every minute of spending that money having fun.'  And he does... with no regrets or guilt trips to keep him from having the best time of his life doing the things he wants to do.

 The first guy can't recapture the time he stole from his company but he can help himself in a big way.  Where I live, which is a retirement community of approximately 75,000 individuals, there are opportunities galore for people to volunteer and give back to the community by helping others.  Unbelievable ways that individuals can be involved in providing services and meaningful contributions that will help revive that feeling of 'self-worth' and 'belonging.'

We'll talk more about things to think about before and during retirement that will help each of you make great choices for your future years. Please drop in for another visit soon.