Reflections on My First Year of Retirement: Link Intermission

I've been reflecting, over the past week, on the first year of my retirement.  I've posted so far about the retirement issues that I found to be easier than I had expected:  money, identity, and boredom.

Before I get started on the things that were different than I had expected, I'd like to take a reflection intermission and share some links from others in the blogosphere.

Ram at An Experiment in Retirement addressed the issue of couples getting on each other's nerves when they both retire.  My husband hardly ever reads my blog, unless a mutual friend tells him there is something interesting in it.  So, I have to be careful when I write my own post on that topic, as it might be considered interesting.  For now, the short answer is, yes we do.

As I said in my most recent post, boredom was not a problem during my first year of retirement, but choices were.  As Steve at Brip Blap attests to, the freedom of choice can be overwhelming.  After spending so many years being who you need to be for your career, it's easy to lose touch with your own dreams.  A clue to finding them, from Tim at Canadian Dream:  look back at your childhood dreams.  No better time than in retirement, in my opinion

In that post Tim asks, "What would happen if more of us took a risk on happiness?"  Well it looks like Jacob at Early Retirement Extreme is doing just that.  He has quit his career to go do something he feels more passionately about, even though it means a substantial hit to his income.

Always attracted to half-full thinking, I loved Analise's post about her 92-year old neighbor.  I agree, her positive attitude probably has a lot to do with her longevity.

Nicole has returned from a long blogging hiatus to encourage an attitude adjustment as well, and remind us that we have it pretty good here.  

"Life is pretty good when it's lived in the world's top few percent.  And if you have the means to read this, you are in that top. . .

Gratitude has been swapped for entitlement.  If we all strive for simplicity we'd earn our food, shelter, and relationships with vigor and ease.  It is our delusion that life requires more, that causes unhappiness. . . Those that cannot understand this are the very ones who live in their lives sad and depressed."

In light of my recent post about who to blame in this housing crisis, I was thrown for a loop by the debate over here about walking away from your mortgage all together.  Here we are debating whether the government should help people that want to try and keep their homes, and there's a whole segment that doesn't even want help, they are just going to walk.  I know which alternative I think is preferable for the economy and for society.

I always enjoy a good post about the Latte Factor.  And my favorite, in part, for the title itself, It seems Jesus doesn't give a rat's ass how much tax I pay.

Comments

[Retiredhubby]

Hey Honey, I sometimes read your blogs unprompted!

[Jules @ Lovely Las Vegas]

What a great 1st year of posts! Keep up the good work. And, most importantly, enjoy your time.

[Nicole]

Aww Syd, you remembered me?!

Thank you for the love. :)

[Judy @ StrawCottage]

REtiredhubby-lurker revealed!

Thanks for all the links, Syd. I linked to your over at my place.

[Renee]

Great blog, freedom of choice and trying to find one's real self can be overwhelming and frightening both. First visit to your blog and will now be following it. Great advice all around.

Renee