When I retired at 55 my fellow workers thought I was nuts and should keep on workin' to enhance my retirement. In one month I'll be 83 years old with 28 years of retirement under my belt. My only regret is that I couldn't afford to retire even earlier.
Wifey B: People think retiring means you don't do anything. No, it means you do what you want when you want. I retired when I was 33. Hubby was 42. We do a lot of boating but then I can also help a school or help a community center or help others with the design of a reading program on a volunteer basis or look into options for elementary education in a community that is doing it poorly. Then, of all the crazy things, I've learned some business. We started a small business (well small was our plan) and hubby said I was co-owner and co-Chairperson and it had to be real, not just on paper so he taught me to read financial statements and I've been involved in business decisions. I've worked on training programs with HR. I've had the freedom to go to hurricane areas after the storms. I've had the freedom to help an individual who I run across who needs it. I've had the freedom to work serving at the soup kitchen and get to know some of the homeless. I've learned about arts and crafts in many different places. I've learned history by doing so when visiting places. I've had time to mentor. Oh, and I learned to captain a boat and got license after license after license. And, not much mechanical but basics like checking fluids and belts and filters and changing fuel filters.
Every day there's far more I want to do than I can possibly do. Yes, you can retire and stagnate, but most retirees are as active as their physical health allows. We go into the office when we want. We go to the music room in our home and sing when we want. We boat when we want and the seas allow. There are bazillions of things I want to do still.
I enjoy life, every day of it. It's awfully cold right now, only 68 degrees at 2:00 pm. Still, we're braving it and going kayaking around the canals in a few with the young crazy girls of our extended family. Tomorrow, we've had a request to go to South Beach for lunch so going there by boat. We leave Friday for our NC trip and orphanage time and get extra time this year due to the calendar, then by Myrtle Beach on the 25th and 26th and home for Florida Christmas which is the 29th this year. Last week we went into the office for three days. One day last week it was two hours on the phone with educators in SC talking about a local school system and then the rest of the day working on a plan for a charter school. If they won't fix the ^#%$$# school then I'll build my own.
I play a little game with myself sometimes called "I'd love to." I make myself dizzy cause there's so much I'd love to do.
Did I stop working when I retired? Well, I do less of it, but then I'm not sure I ever worked. I had the wonderful opportunity to help young kids learn. Yes, administration was a royal pain, but the kids always made up for it. I loved what I did. Hubby loved his job. So that's the final words for today. If you can't retire yet, find work you can love. Oh, you won't love it 100% of the time but at least that brings you satisfaction. And don't work for ^##%$^'s.
literally... but should be on the boat by May first this year. Unfortunately, for another 4 or 5 years I'll be land-locked on an inland lake while still working, although it's 65 miles long... 
