I have a very hard time dealing with braggers. The I/me crowd. I have to admit I do all I can to yank their chains just a bit, LOL!!! MY bad?

Chatty,
Loved the poem. Don't like braggers either; people who really
excel, don't need to brag! Their life speaks for itself!
You ain't bad!

I feel that if someone has worked hard all their life and planned for their retirement and are able to retire, they have earned the right to talk about it freely. It's a privilege they have earned. (I'm not talking golden parachutes here.) Time does pass quickly, way too quickly for all of us, retired or not. Volunteerism is a wonderful thing. However, I don't think anyone should "brag" about being retired to those of us who cannot retire yet or maybe not at all. If someone asks them how they like retirement or what they do with themselves, I see no reason why they shouldn't be truthful and say they love it if they do. But throwing it in someone's face who might love to retire but can't is mean and thoughtless. "There but for the grace of God."

Another thing that really irks me is when someone asks me how I like retirement when they know full well that I am NOT retired, I am unemployed and looking for a job. There is a BIG difference. Sometimes, people just don't think before they speak.

I learned a long time ago Louisa that if someone asks me a question I choose not to reply to I just ask them a question right back...Example:

"So Loiusa how do you like just being a lady of leisure with nothing to do all day but rest?"

Your reply could be:

"Say Chatty is that a new hairdo I see, or are you letting it grow longer? Looks nice."

>or<

"Chatty, that reminds me, they are having a sale at the store, do you read any of the sale papers?"

Get the picture?
This throws the person off and puts the ball in your court. The person asking the dumb question usually forgets what they asked in the frst place. Do this often enough and before you know it those irritating questions stop, and you aren't being rude or getting angry.

Ask any question that comes to mind, the less sense it makes the better...LOL!

A few years ago, colleague of mine made a song and dance about his retirement. Those of us who still have to work went about in the same manner that Louisa stated: "...if someone has worked hard all their life and planned for their retirement and are able to retire, they have earned the right to talk about it freely. It's a privilege they have earned."

However, on his last day as he kissed his big fat cheque from the firm, he remarked: "I will be thinking of you all slaving away while I loll about in sunny Spain with my big fat cheque." Thereafter, we made him pick up the tab for our lunches on his last day. When he drops into the firm because he does not have anything to do, we still make him pick up the tab sometimes.

Lol Lola...If it's so great to be retired...why does he even come back?

I'm just glad we got winter tires. That's all I know about re-tiring.

Cerebral stimulation and the banter that goes with it, I guess. I suspect it also keeps him from boring and infuriating his wife when they're in town because he won't lay down tools, so to speak.

Whenever I've seen this for different employers, to me, it looks sad.

Dearie took early retirement from his lst career where he was with his firm for over 30 yrs. He did well career-wise (meaning good, challenging roles) but when he left, he broke all his biz ties. ALL. No visits to his firm nor contacts.

He doesn't even want to mention that he worked for an oil firm for his present company that he set up for consulting on side. I dunno. I realize bikes and oil tanks don't jive, but anyway..

This type of role breakaway is just healthier. A person learns to transform themselves with their real personal passions that they are unable to pursue when working full-time. But then some people haven't figured out their personal passions. Better to do that many years before retirement.

It just floors me..a chief judge for a province that I know, retired a few years ago. He still does some legal work. I can't believe this because while he was the province's most top ranking judge, he was also oil painting landscapes on the side in his spare time. So already he had a personal passion and gift, that alot of people recognized, talked about, etc. One would walk into his office and it was this glowing gallery of at least 10 of his paintings. It was stunning. This website doesn't quite give the full impact when walking in office in person.
http://www.osgoodehall.com/mcmurtry4.html The style is impressionistic. He was pals with a major Canadian painter and did go on plein d'air trips to paint scenery.

I don't get it.

We never know what fires a person up..although the judge painted and appeared to have found his passion..but people are complex and have many desires needs and wants.We have a friend who still goes into his garage haulage business daily..he is wealthy so its not for cash reasons..he handed over to his sons..he built his own home took up thr violin at 50.. has a lovely greenhouse a garden he designed..he is just wired for being in the buzz of the company he built..
I was told years ago that we each should work out their own "salvation" and this is evident from what we are putting into this discussion..
disengaging is discussed in sociology where a person slowly steps back from a career in stages..but it is not universal and this is shown here.

I know doctors and lawyers who have retired, but continue to do volunteer work within their profession. This makes total sense to me. If it's your passion, you want to keep doing it.

One lawyer was sickened by the new way of practicing law. And one doctor is an ob/gyn who chose to leave because of the threat of law suits and the cost to remian in practice. Both had done well and had the financial stability to retire.