A needed reminder

[Diogenes]

As I near retirement at 55 and am contemplating transiting to an 'encore' consulting career (even though I don't need the money) a grim reminder surfaced (two actually). The first was a colleague who decided to stay on one more year, but halfway though died on Thanksgiving Day of rapid and previously unknown brain cancer. He was 57. The second came today as my spouse who decided to take a few patients 2 days a week was faced the first day (today actually) with a 55 year old engineer who retired yesterday and started his consulting job this morning - until it was interrupted by an acute heart attack about noon.

Sometime it pays to be thankful for what we have and go out and smell the roses. I think I plan to.

_D_

[zebrafish]

We only get one shot at life.

On almost a daily basis I'm reminded of how lucky I've been and continue to be.

If you have the means to pursue your desires, more power to you

[ofcmetz]

This is why it's important to follow a plan that gives you the chance to be financially free from a job that you no longer have any passion about. If you can work at something you love and something that gives you joy until the day you check out then what's wrong with that? What is sad is the people I see stuck doing something that they hate well into old age because they had to have this or that house or car along the way.

Working in a profession that reminds me on a daily basis about the delicacy of life is a constant reminder to enjoy every bit of this journey.

[linuxuser]

My father died 3 years ago at 73. He only just retired 10 months before he died.
He could have retired sooner but with his seniority he had a parking spot close to the building, etc. etc.
My maternal grandmother died from Alzheimer's complications at 79.

So, things don't look promising.

I am strongly considering retiring later this year at 50.
I say retire as in quitting my current job and supplementing my income with contract jobs.

[cheese_breath]

I retired at 56 and just turned 72 last month. My mother died at age 69, my father at 82. I have no idea whose genetics I inherited so with each birthday I wonder if I will make it to the next one. In the meantime I take it one day at a time.