Casting at the sun: an observation

[Nigel Rainton]

Julian,

My Big Plan was to work extremely hard and retire early, aged 45. My Godfather (who was the Actuary responsible for the Queen Mother's investments) told me that on average, people only live for 6 months after they retire and a considerable number die before they retire. He gave me that information when I was 20 years of age, the numbers might have changed a bit since. Work commitments delayed my retirement by 2 years !

When I retired (the first time) from my extremely high pressure career, I spent a lot of time by the pool, fishing, going on holiday, playing polo, racing cars and generally having a great time. I became very bored, after 12 months I had done it all !

I drifted into another career and after 11 years and 2 grandchildren, I decided to stop work completely.

I'm not bored and have no desire to resume work but who knows what next year will bring ?

I've come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as retirement, its just a change of lifestyle.

[Julian]

Julian,

My Big Plan was to work extremely hard and retire early, aged 45. My Godfather (who was the Actuary responsible for the Queen Mother's investments) told me that on average, people only live for 6 months after they retire and a considerable number die before they retire. He gave me that information when I was 20 years of age, the numbers might have changed a bit since. Work commitments delayed my retirement by 2 years !

When I retired (the first time) from my extremely high pressure career, I spent a lot of time by the pool, fishing, going on holiday, playing polo, racing cars and generally having a great time. I became very bored, after 12 months I had done it all !

I drifted into another career and after 11 years and 2 grandchildren, I decided to stop work completely.

I'm not bored and have no desire to resume work but who knows what next year will bring ?

I've come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as retirement, its just a change of lifestyle.

I agree - it is just a change of lifestyle.

However when you first retired and obviously had the finances to do so many very nice things I'm really surprised you became bored so quickly. I could never become bored - given reasonable finances and decent health I would be happy for a 100 years of not 'working' on a daily basis there is just so much I would want to do of which fishing is a major significant part.

[Paul D]

Really must agree with you Julian, I need to live to about 150 to do all the things I want too,lottery win would help as well !

[RBTraditional]

I'd agree with you both Julian and Paul, life is far too short to get bored. I have been lucky enough to be born, raised and work in the countryside doing something that I love....I'll never retire properly if my health allows, I'll just slow down a bit. I often think of all the country characters I have met over the years, most long dead now, who I looked up to as a young man, for their understanding and knowledge of the natural world and the countryside in general. I like to think that I know a bit about the flora and fauna of this hallowed isle.....but I'd love to and strive to have the collective knowledge of those old boys............but it's a long time in the learning.

[Dave Burr]

No such thing as retiring, its just removing the chore of earning and more time to play

I had to take medical retirement at the age of 40 and very soon wondered how anybody has the time to work. Okay, I've been plodding along at a much slower pace than before and am less able to do much that I have wanted but with fishing in your life you have all the ambition and goals that any man could want, it can, if you desire, involve a wide social scene, exercise, study...... all the aspects needed to keep the ol' grey matter churning over. The people that drop after a couple of months are the ones who decorate the house, tidy the garden then sit back an switch the TV on..... - game over.

[Aitch]

I'm 55, my body hurts after nearly 40 years of hard manual work.... My knees are totally shot and the arthritis in my hands, means I need a good ten minutes under warm water in the morning just to take the ache and stiffness from them.... I desperately want... Nay, need to retire, but finances won't allow, so work I must, till I'm at least 60...

Quite frankly I could retire tomorrow.... With several hobbies on the go my time would be taken up with a variety of pastimes, so my mind and body would hopefully stay on a gentle decline, rather than the headlong pelt into forced inactivity that a heavy manual job brings forth...

I will never let my hobbies become obsessions, I have a loving wife who keeps me on the straight and narrow...
A couple of fishing trips a week, a ride on the motorbike occasionally, and taking in the odd game of cricket at the Chelmsford county ground would be a grand way to spend my dotage.... Oh how I yearn for those days

[Nigel Rainton]

For me boredom is repeating the same stuff. I like to do a wide variety of things. When I first retired I crammed everything I wanted to do into 12 months, big mistake. I should have taken my time. Last October when I finally stopped work, someone said to me 'Retirement is doing exactly what you want'. That is how I approach every day.

Yesterday, I took my grandsons to a small stream for a paddle, they had never seen moving water before or Sticklebacks. Today, I cut the grass, I don't want to go fishing. Tomorrow I am taking my grandsons to the beach. Saturday is a long way off.

I don't know anyone who has slippers, a pipe and drives a Rover. Conventional retirement is not for me. If I ever slip into that mode I will read 'Casting at the Sun' again. That would give me inspiration.

[Leveller]

Good observation of a wonderful book I have read many times,
I had the very same obsession with barbel, to the point where it made me ill.
I ended up with IBS I called it irritable barbel sindrome,
Irritable bowel sindrome is a horrible thing as I'm sure some of you will know.
I realised after playing a computer simulation of fishing the river dove! That I would be I agony every time I got to running water , real or computer generated!
I stopped barbel fishing for five years and the fact that everyone in the world is after barbel now helps me to keep away from them, if one comes along that's fine but I no longer persue them.
I still fish everyday simply because it's better than sitting at home watching the tv !

[Dave Burr]

IBS is the last thing you want to effect you on the river bank! Most inconvenient. Its odd how we allow our leisure pursuits to become so all consuming. I don't watch anything like as much football as I once did, the highs and lows of winning and losing now just feel like unnecessary stress and like you Leveller, barbel are just another species nowadays.

[Wandler]

... every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.