Why do retired guys work so hard?

[Pete J]

neslrite's dad, FF name "Homer" retired at the end of October. I would've thought that he'd take a little time off, go fishing, or something else that retired guys do.

Nope! He's been working non-stop at LogRite building fixtures, cutting, bending and making a mess of the place. He's putting up a new Nyle kiln to dry the wood coming off the woodmizer and basically been running flat out.

Is this what I have to look forward to in 20 years?

[DonE911]

I'd love to retire and find out

My grandfather used to tell me " I need to go back to work so I can get some rest"

I guess we all have a list of things we'd like to get done before we pass on... I know I do ...      I'll feel good if I live long enough to get half of it done.

[Tom]

You find, when you retire, that you are your toughest task-master.

[Quartlow]

I work harder now since I cut work back to 3 days then I ever did working full time. Seems since I have 4 days a week to myself I dream up bigger and grander projects,  
I'm afraid of what I'll dream up when I quit working all together!

[DanG]

I'm "retired" but I ain't got time to talk about it right now.

[Paschale]

I think retiring just means leaving the job you had your whole life.  I hope I'll always have some "work" to do.  I remember when my grandmother lived in her "retirement" home, and everyone's life there seemed to revolve around watching soaps and Wheel of Fortune and playing BINGO on Thursday nights.  No thank you!  When I retire, I wanna be doing a bunch of sawmilling, and woodworking, and God willing, playing with grandkids and putzing around my house, fixing stuff.  It sounds like "Homer" is following the advice you've got in your signature, LogRite, which I think is great stuff:

"Life shouldn't be a journey to the grave intending on arriving safely in a pretty, well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out. Yelling WOW! What A Ride!"

I bet he's happier working day in and day out, accomplishing something, instead of just sitting around home, filling time.  I think retired guys work so hard, cuz they'd be bored stiff, and just sort of fade away if they didn't.

[Patty]

I see folks struggle with this retirement thing. My folks are a good example. They are in their 80's now. Mom wants to go to Florida to enjoy her sisters and the mild winters; dad wants to stay in Missouri where he can spend his time working on the farms. Mom goes nuts in Missouri, cause all the old women just sit around and play cards or crochet...she likes to get out and do things. Dad goes nuts in Florida, cause all the old men just sit around or play golf...he likes to get out and do farm work. They have compromised a little, now they spend winters in Florida, and summers in Missouri.

[beenthere]

Been retired almost 7 yrs now, and don't have any free time to even go fishing. Haven't been since I retired, but like to fish.

I (like Patty's Dad), like to do things around the place, work in the woods, plant things, pick things, cut things, move things, etc. etc., and on and on. My wife likes winters in the warm climates, but I like the cold and the snow. So, fortunately for me she has a brother in the warm climate, and she visits him several times in the winter.  I can't find a place I like better to be than right here at home.  This winter, we plan to drive West and visit the mountains with snow. Looking forward to the adventure, but already wondering if I can stay away from home very long.
These last 7 years have been the quickest I can remember, and that is the only down side that I can think of. When (if) I find some free time, there are a lot of things I want and will do.  

[Phorester]

A couple years after one of my co-workers retired, he told me, "You know, I work more now than before I retired, but now it's all for me, and the days when I don't want to work, I don't have to".

[bitternut]

I have been retired just shy of 5 years and I have projects going on that I never even dreamed about before retirement. It seems like every time I complete one job on my list I add ten more that I would like to do. You will find that it is like hitting a moving target. No time to sit, which is good. Just like having 7 day week-ends. Never seem to know what day it is since I don't make out time tickets anymore. Don't really care either I guess. Most guys that retire enjoy what they are doing so they just naturally work harder at it.

[oldsaw]

catching up.

You ever notice how you get up ready to go on Saturday morning, but it's hard to get up to go to work the other 5 days?  Retirement is like a permanent Saturday.

My 94 year old great aunt worked in an old folks home until she was in her early 80s...she liked working with "old people".  Some of those "old people" were 10 and 15 years younger than her.  She still isn't "old".

[junkyard]

Some don't
Some of us wore out before retiring. Takes most of a week to do week to do what used to do in the morning. Dad wore out young he used to tell me not to do things because they wuold wear out my knees or back should have listened. Both are shot at only 65 years young.
                         Junkyard

[hawby]

Well in 35 more weekdays, I'll know what it is like  

Then I get to know what REAL work is like again!

hawby

[Ed_K]

  Because it's NOT WORK anymore, it's fun stuff  .

[DanG]

Well, AwwRIGHT Hawby!  You got something special coming up. There ain't nuthin quite like that last drive home, knowin' you ain't never got to go back again.  I couldn't be happier for you.

This is the first time in recent memory that the loss of Daylight Savings Time hasn't caused me to go into a depression.  Somehow, it just don't matter what time it is, or even what day it is.

[Murf]

Unfortunately I 'retired' at 38 years old.....

The unfortunate part was that it was caused by a massive heart-attack.

Now two years later, I am getting back in the swing of things, but still only work part-time, part of a 'plea bargain' with the missus and the Doctor. I am only allowed to do work-like things between 8:30am & 5:30pm Mon-Fri. because I was a self-employed work-a-holic, now I'm in re-training  .

I am in the process of starting a new business and finding it hard to squeeze it in with everything else I do  

[hawby]

I think what I am looking forward to again is the feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day. Like I used to get when I was plowing a field, or baling hay. I could actually see that I had done something.

For the past 19 years all I have done is pound the keyboard 50 billion times   Well, a little more than that, but there isn't the visual indication that I actually performed something. Didn't know how important that was to me.

hawby

[Shotgun]

Hawby,

A suggestion - as you aproach retiremnent and attain that goal, watch out that you don't over-commit yourself.  It's really easy to do. People will want you to get involved with something or another.  Take a little time after retirement to decide what it is that you really want to do with yourself. If you over-commit in the beginning, it's hard to "un-commit." Retirement is great.You'll love it.

Been there for 7 years.

Shotgun
Michigan

[cutterboy]

Hawby,
I know what you mean about the feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day. I've got 6 to 10 years before I can retire. I don't get much of a feeling of accomplishment at work, but I certainly do from my work at home. This time of year I might spend all day on the weekends in my woods cutting cordwood. At the end of the day I've got quite a nice stack, and I'll just stand there admiring it. (talk about satisfaction) Then as the sun goes down and it starts to  get cold, I hop on my trusty old tractor and head for the house. I know supper is cooking and my sweetheart is waiting for me with a kiss. Ahhh, life is good.

  Ralph

[Bruce_A]

With retirement comes the time you never had before.  So start thinking about all the things you want to do, you will never get a better chance.  Good luck.