I have been working, pretty much constantly for my sixty odd years of life, for the most part as an engineer in the Royal Navy and thereafter in areas of business that have strong “compliance” requirements.
For most of my life, I have discovered that so many people work to bring in a decent wage and hopefully find happiness not only in their work, but also in their everyday routines.
However, I think most people, who are having fun when in their youth and who find happiness with a significant other, have no time to think, that one day, the daily and regular routines will eventually come to an end. That new routines will be forced upon us.
I find my mind wandering, wondering in that I am unsure, sometimes intimidated, and perhaps ill-prepared as my work life is now coming to its closure.
I am writing this little book, as a blog to help those, like me, who seek to prepare or repair themselves for their final years of retirement. Some of my readers are close to that and some are now enjoying the times they have together.
I don't know if you will find it interesting or just think its the ramblings of a person that is trying to work out what it all was about?
I am myself in the process of carrying out a life audit. I'm assessing where I have been, what skill sets I have and what I have learned over my lifetime and thus what I have left in the bank of life.
Even though they we claim to know ourselves, we all look for the things that made us happy at certain periods in our lives. We assess our body and trust our fitness. (We have to be fit to rely on our body to work, whether the work is wholly sedentary or manually exhausting and at times it will or has been brain challenging). So advice is keep moving, do something because if you don't, the fitness will decline and you are just giving in.
No doubt, many who chose to read my story have been through, what I will call 'life’s apprenticeship'?
I am just one of the ordinary people who has a will to live but has to live a life less ordinary than those who reach fame and fortune.
Unfortunately, most of us will just be who we were born to be and the rest if anything exists is up to ambition and aspirations which have to be seized. That is if the life you will later move into is to be as exciting as the patches of events that may have moved you to work at happiness and a reason to be happy.
As I reflect on my own episodic life, I recall falling in love, having many friends and being what I think was successful for an ordinary lad. I have, in my time won awards at work, medals awarded by the late Queen Elizabeth II, (God bless her) but never played guitar in a band or DJ'd for a living.
I have been sacked by ruthless people aiming to fulfill their own ambitions and let down by people who once I trusted but when it comes down to it, one must think of oneself, one's family and one's own ambitions and my success, in my first life audit it that I have proudly raised children and grandchildren and have chosen two partners who I have lived with happily and am left with one that I love dearly to this day.
I've raised four children as a dad and a step dad and can tell many sea stories. Which those who have followed me have heard in previous conversations.
Now, as I reach the age to finish up my career, I have very few, if any real friends left. I have suffered disappointment - trusting people. I have experienced happiness and companionship. I have been angry and sad, tearful and have lost some things I have loved.
In a life which is to come, these things which have hurt me are now buried in the past and I must let them go and endeavor to find beauty in the simple things in life. Will this be the garden, the flowers that I struggle to name?
Will I move to a sunnier climate which will help my growing arthritis. Maybe, I will be sitting in the sunshine in that garden or maybe on a beach or taking a holiday twice a year perhaps on a cruise ship. Spending at least sometimes with someone, I care about and can retire with.
This is what I call "the quandary of retirement".
Imagine, watching the sun go down with a favourite cocktail or a cold beer or satisfying glass of Chardonnay!
Whilst others who approach retirement look to find solace in spending time with their grandchildren gifted to them by the sons and daughters raised by the efforts of their endeavoring work life. It is those snapshots and the joy of babies and children which probably can bring happiness to those in empty nest land all over again. Others keep supporting their kids when they have bad times and hardships and that's what good parents do.
But look at the time you have left.....
Our new King Charles III in his venerable way when he communicated to us that he will:
"solemnly pledge - throughout the remaining time God grants me, to uphold the Constitutional principles at the heart of our nation"
At this sad time - let us pause and reflect on the past couple of days events.
If we strip away all the pomp and royalty and wealth my feelings are today that they are just a family, not of course ordinary. But they have dysfunctional attributes as most of us experience. They too, have ordinary problems like us with sons and daughters and grandchildren that who are also going through their own hardships and will make hard decisions. Eventually there will come a day when one has to look back and think what have I achieved, did I do my duty?
I have to say it was my personal honour to serve the late Queen and my poem below is included in her memory.
But folks, retirement unfortunately is a given. It will hit you when you least expect it because sooner or later working 9-5 will finish and then what will you do?
To be Continued.....
She served her country, with grace and love,
Over the rainbow, she now rests above.
Beloved Queen, Elizabeth,
We mourn her passing with every breath.
Let all the angels rise and sing
Goodbye our love, God save the King.
