"You'll be Bored" (in retirement)

Jim Jones · Oct 25, 2019

I'm only 87, so don't have time to be bored. For example, there's a high school football game to photograph tonight for my hometown school, and then editing and burning CDs of the game for the kids and school to use. One bit of advice for you youngsters; do the fun things that require lots of physical effort while you're still fairly young. I don't have the energy I had just 20 or 30 years ago, but photography needn't be hard physical work. Ruth Bernhard had to give up LF photography in her seventies, but continued to conduct workshops for 20 more years. Imogene Cunningham signed a book contract in her 90s. I've had to scale down the to-do list to another decade of projects, but can always add to it if I live so long.

grahamp · Oct 25, 2019

I actually retired on the 1st of this month. I'm a few years early, but a combination of work changes, domestic issues, and the finances just coming together made it a good choice.

I don't *think* I will be bored. The flexibility of not having to cram everything into a weekend is going to be nice as I can start some longer running projects. If we move house, which is possible, there will be a whole new darkroom to build

pbromaghin · Oct 25, 2019

c41 said:
You would be lucky to be bored, I don't see a pathway to ever being able to retire for the majority of people my age (40s) and younger, not at this point anyway.
Good luck in your retirement. If it were me and I had a choice, I'd keep a pathway to employment open, you might miss the company/hobby money.
But seems like full retirement is a popular option here and I can certainly see how that could be - if you have funds to travel and to goof around then you are a lucky man, have at it!

Don't despair. Yes, you can retire - on ANY income. Start planning today. Learn to budget and get control of your expenses. Never borrow a nickle from nobody for nothing except a home. Become a cheapskate and save, save, save.

etn · Oct 25, 2019

Sirius Glass said:
The two people who should not retire are the ones whose work is their life and the ones that absolutely hate their work. The first loves their work so much that they never developed any other interests. The second hated their work so much that they never developed any other interests.

So funny - and so true!

etn · Oct 25, 2019

BradS said:
Am I gonna be bored?

If we see your amount of messages here on Photrio going from 5,000 to 10,000 within a month, then yes, we'll conclude you are bored
Reading your post, and trying to guess more about your personality from it, I think you will not be bored.
If you happen to travel the world and make a stopover in Munich, please get in touch. (The same goes for all other forum members, by the way!)

Born2Late · Oct 25, 2019

I have 52 more work days left. I can't wait. I have enough planned to last another lifetime. I will not get bored.

DWThomas · Oct 25, 2019

Bored? Hell no! I retired -- uh -- "suddenly" -- in 2002 and quite frankly at this point in my life I don't know how back when I found time to hold a job!

jtk · Oct 25, 2019

Boredom is something some people do. Some people don't do boredom.

Steve Roberts · Oct 25, 2019

I retired two and a half years ago. I started work at 18 and decided that 39 years was enough! Haven't regretted it for a moment. There are still not enough hours in the day to get everything done and though it's a cliche I really don't know how I ever found the time to show up for work. One word of warning - since I retired the time has passed incredibly quickly, hastening my trip to that Great Darkroom in the Sky!
Steve

VinceInMT · Oct 25, 2019

I've been retired about 8 years (high school teacher) and like many others I have multiple hobbies, interests, and passions that more than keep me occupied.

A few words about retirement planning. We started saving very early, long before I changed careers into education, so when I retired, at age 60, we have the nestegg we built plus a pension and now Social Security. I am making more now than when I was working. Plus, my spouse is a self-employed CPA with little interest in giving up her practice yet. So, start saving early and marry up. ;-)

Another thought. One of the things my research showed was the necessity of continually learning new things as we age to stave off the diminishment of cognitive ability. While I stay engaged with my hobbies and keep physically fit, I decided to take on a new challenged and enrolled at the local university and am working on a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. And why not? It's fun, challenging, and I hang out with young people. Plus, in my state, Vietnam Era Vets and anyone 65 or older receives a tuition waiver. What's not to like?

And, do this stuff while you still can because you just never know, health-wise, what might come along. I went through the whole prostate cancer thing over the last year and half. It was an annoyance but I an clear now and back on track.

Pioneer · Oct 25, 2019

Things to do, places to go, books to read, pictures to take, not to mention the grandkids. Headed to Truckee with one grandchild next week and then hunting with another for the next two or three weeks.

How does one get bored?

I will say that I am happy that I am generally healthy. Being in poor health or having poor mobility could prevent me from doing some of the things I enjoy but I doubt I would get bored even then. It would certainly limit me but I believe that limits are God's way of making you more creative than you would have been otherwise.

But, as my mother said, never say never.

Mainecoonmaniac · Oct 25, 2019

I was on sick leave for 5 months due to a heart attack. During that time, I wasn't bored in the beginning. I was occupied with recovering my health. As I got better and got more energy, I did more household chores that also helped me through occupational therapy. I was bored and missed being at work. What kept me from being a recluse was having lunch from friends, family and coworkers. After my health improved enough, I went back to work. Other than genetics, my cardiologist think it might have been stress from work. I was bored being at home was because I was thrown into a situation unexpectedly. I'm 57 plan to retire in a year or two but I think through carefully planning I won't be bored. Having cardiac arrest and being in the hospital for 12 days gave me a perspective about mortality, work and life after work. I'm really lucky. I have a loving, caring wife, great doctors and medical insurance.

darkosaric · Oct 25, 2019

BradS said:
I do not recall ever being bored in my life...
Am I gonna be bored?

Yesterday I was reading that people aged 45 are least happy. I am 45, and every year is better than before, very happy indeed.
Bored in retirement: It is individual for each person, but I am sure you will be fine !

Luckless · Oct 25, 2019

I get bored on a long weekend if I try to tell myself that I'll take it easy and 'do nothing but relax'...

I still have a few decades before I'll be seriously considering a retirement date, but I really can't imagine trying to live life without ongoing projects to work on, and ideally ones that can generate some kind of income at some point. I really can't picture myself just sitting around and watching TV all day, but I can't say I would mind having more freedom to just walk away from a project I'm not in the mood to deal with at the time, and not have to care about any hard set deadlines...

Something tells me my managers wouldn't be overly impressed with me if I tried that right now.

Sirius Glass · Oct 25, 2019

VinceInMT said:
...
Another thought. One of the things my research showed was the necessity of continually learning new things as we age to stave off the diminishment of cognitive ability. While I stay engaged with my hobbies and keep physically fit, I decided to take on a new challenged and enrolled at the local university and am working on a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. And why not? It's fun, challenging, and I hang out with young people. Plus, in my state, Vietnam Era Vets and anyone 65 or older receives a tuition waiver. What's not to like?
..

I have always believed that a college education should not be job training but learning to use a type of library so one could expand their background and interests as they grew. As the engineering industries evolved, I would train myself so that I could get employment in new fields. So my life has been one of growth and learning. The learning to me is one of the adventures in life.

pbromaghin · Oct 25, 2019

At 62, I am looking forward to it in 3-4 years. The meantime will be filled with a huge software implementation project that will be a nice cap to the career. I will terribly miss the people, but my work has never defined me and rarely even enters my head from when I walk out the door until I return the next morning. There will be a darkroom to build and learn to use, a yard to completely re-landscape, karate to teach and train, some travel and more. That is, if I can hide from my wife and her infinitely long list.

Prest_400 · Oct 25, 2019

jim10219 said:
I'm only ever bored at work. Then again, I've never linked my self identity to my job. My job is what I do to make money. It has nothing to do with who I am.

If work wasn't boring, then you'd be paying them to do it. That's how amusement parks work. I don't think anyone would pay money to do what I do M-F 8-5.

Ditto, I will forward your quote to a friend of mine who is very concerned about fun/boring work. Still, I worked a while as a bank teller which I thought it would be a routinarily boring task but it was actually very entertaining.
I'm very far from retirement age (20s) but had periods of holiday or unemployment that I treated basically as if I were retired, my motto of "preview of retirement". The only concern I had then is the uncertainty about income, boredom? Not at all if you know how to manage it albeit I might say that being located in the Mediterranean coast was of great advantage. Photography is a fantastic activity as it compliments and grows from others.
The very same friend says so about photography in that it mostly requires someone to move around and seek locations, videogames you can stay at home in the basement and physically not move.
Our generation (the famous Millenial) is quite concerned about purpose in work and such, indeed. But I somehow learned not to be identified by what work I am doing, as it still is mostly a way to pay bills.

Jim Jones said:
One bit of advice for you youngsters; do the fun things that require lots of physical effort while you're still fairly young.

Noted and ongoing. Many cohorts are surprised at how active I am, even if it's not really exhausting physical activity but just a sheer constant active lifestyle. As a quote from Roosevelt I recall: "Wear out, not rust out".
Having moved to a quite Northern place with dark winters and nice summers I even became a bit extreme. Following the light I try to be outdoors as much as possible when conditions allow. It was rather sad to learn that nowadays the average person spends 90% of their time indoors...

Arklatexian · Oct 25, 2019

BradS said:
When I mentioned that I hope/plan to retire next year, a few people (including my oldest son!) said, "you'll be bored".

I cannot imagine being bored. I do not recall ever being bored in my life. Even when home alone with no particular plans, I'm not bored. There's always something to see or to do.

On the other hand, I got my first job when I was 13 and I've worked continuously, I've not had more than two consecutive weeks off since graduating from college some 32+ years ago....so...I don't know. I've never really been without a job.

Am I gonna be bored?

You have already answered your own question. Anyone bored with retirement is lacking in imagination, or should I say curiosity. There are always things to do and see because you want to, not because you must. Photographs to take, books to read, fish to catch, nature to explore. Just don't wait until your body gives out. It will give out before your interests do.........Regards!

VinceInMT · Oct 25, 2019

I should have mentioned in my comment above that after years of teaching high school one of the best things about being retired is that I can go to the bathroom whenever I want now. It's those little things in life.

Arklatexian · Oct 25, 2019

BradS said:
Yeah, it's kinda like that here too....except it's different.

My father worked for the same major corporation for his entire, 35 year, career. He retired (aka got "let go") at age 56 and got a sweet pension from the corporation - he even has health care benefits. He'll be 76 this year and is always busy golfing and doing volunteer work for various charitable organizations to which he belongs.

I don't think I have ever believed that any corporation or the federal government would give me a pension. I'm 55 and, after 32+ years of continuous employment, have comparatively little but it is enough. I'll be able to retire only because I've been able to save some money along the way and have done pretty well on some investments.

I have stuff to do, people to see and places to go...and I want to do these things while my knees still work and before my brain turns to jelly.

If you do stuff, see people and go places, there is a good possibility that your brain won't turn to jelly, at least in the first hundred years and as long as the rest of your body continues to do it's job......I am 88, worked and played with photography since I was 10 and one of the things I have done in the last few years is join this group so I can learn more things, and I have. One of which, at my age, is "thank goodness for tripods".........Regards!

Dahod · Oct 25, 2019

I've been retired for nine years now.

Mike Johnston (The Online Photographer) mentioned something his brother said. Not sure I'm quoting correctly but it's along the line of "Life is like a roll of toilet paper - the less you have, the faster it goes". That's kind of where I'm at now - so much to do and so little time. Not everybody is the same but in my case, work would just get in the way.

T Boon Pickens, who just recently passed, said in his farewell "In my final months, I came to the sad reality that my life really did have a fourth quarter and the clock really would run out on me." Sobering thought I guess but we all have an expiry date and I for one, have a few more things I want to do before the buzzer goes.

Good luck on your decision
Dave

guangong · Oct 26, 2019

I am lucky enough not to face retirement. Thanks to Jimmy Carter full time employment dried up in the academic world, and universities took the part-time adjunct path. After teaching in some very prestigious schools, I was able to change my avocation into a vocation and never looked back. When PC became dominant I met old friends who were nervous wrecks from fear. Professor evaluation forms didn’t help, since the worse teachers get highest ratings if they give high grades for little work.
So I am doing something extremely fascinating that also keeps me in good physical shape. After 60 years still a lot to research and practice to look forward to. Also, associating with young people helps. Hanging out with Senior Citizens is probably bad for one’s health.

I totally agree with Serius regarding a university education, although the kind of education he is referring to is long gone. Some of the questions asked on this site make me wonder if some of our APUG members have ever read an introductory book on photography.

AndyH · Oct 26, 2019

guangong said:
I am lucky enough not to face retirement. Thanks to Jimmy Carter full time employment dried up in the academic world, and universities took the part-time adjunct path.

I'm curious; I've never heard that.- What did Carter do that caused this to happen? I have a large number of friends who are full-time professors, employed by the universities where they teach.

I agree with your statement on the value of hanging around with young people. It's more inspiring than many people would expect if they have a mental image of millennial slackers.

Andy

Kino · Oct 26, 2019

I can't wait to clear my desk and hit the door.

Managers are cheerfully ignorant of the very processes they pretend to manage and the old-guard has given up and is just waiting for the ax to fall.

Over the past decade, my workplace has slowly become evermore crippled by bureaucracy and "safety concerns" to the point it is practically non-functional.

Photochemical processes that have been perfected and safely used for near 120 years are now suddenly dangerous, uncharted territory to be treated like unexploded ordinance.

It's a self-fulfilling prophesy to rationalize their desire to rid themselves of a complex, archival process in favor of digital "preservation", which is neither easier or better by any means when properly implemented.

Ironically, if you take a few minutes to probe and explore their boundless enthusiasm for this new "preservation" medium, you quickly understand their depth of knowledge and understanding on the subject of Digital (done properly) is scarcely more robust than their photochemical knowledge. All this enthusiasm is the consensus-based, tribal thinking of the smart-phone crowd; Jon and Jane think it's great, therefore I think it's great and any practical concerns or problems with their plan is viewed as dangerously heretical.

"Tinkerbell Thinking" I call it; if we all believe, Tinkerbell won't die.

Tinkerbell is doomed.

Anyway, I look forward to building my wildly dangerous and totally impractical darkroom (in their estimation) in which to spend my retirement years; far away from their mythical land of make believe...

Jim Jones · Oct 26, 2019

I agree with Sirius and Guangong: a university education was most valuable to me for the things one can learn outside of the classroom. I turned 40 as a college freshman and recently retired career Navy man. The exuberance of the youthful students around me kept me from growing older for a while. A good library in those days before the internet was a treasure. Since then, 47 years ago, higher education has followed big pharma and politics in increasing in cost far faster than average American incomes without a proportional increase in value. Today a strongly motivated and disciplined high school graduate can become well educated, although without certification, by gleaning the internet and public libraries. Any company that does not appreciate that is not a place where I'd ever want to work.

"You'll be Bored" (in retirement)

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