When I was 60 years old, I started thinking about retirement. The Social Security Administration had been sending me those yearly statements, which was a constant reminder – it’s coming! Arrangements/planning needed to be done. There was so little time. Wishing I had been more frugal and saved (my parents were right after all – I hate that!) did not help much. Being self employed there was no 401K or big bank balance and there were bills, the mortgage, car payment, etc. What to do about them? I was smart enough to not have a credit card balance, but that was about all I could take credit for.
I had to start looking at a budget 2 years down the road or did I want to just work 6 or 7 years longer? The Social Security Administration could not make up their minds when I could fully retire anyway. After looking at the numbers and considering some family issues (my husband is disabled) I decided it might be possible for me to retire at 62 and that I would plan and work toward that end. All the while, telling my friends “it isn’t going to happen but I am taking the steps”.
The day arrived
I legally turned the business over to my son. He had been running it for several months anyway. He had asked me to work one day a week to make payroll and accounts receivable and payable. Since Uncle Sam said I could earn a little, I agreed. That would pay for my health insurance so everything was set! No payments other than the home mortgage and it was almost paid and the amount was manageable. I was officially retired!
All of the undone projects, the things I had always wanted to do and didn’t have the time , were listed on paper to be tackled one at a time. Life was great! (So I thought)
It took me almost a year to stop waking up at 4 a.m. each morning. I could not keep track of what day of the week it was and laundry was impossible to do during the week. I only knew how to do laundry on the weekends. It was crazy. My time was also “fair game” for family and friends. They had all these things that “we” were going to do and places that “we” were going to go. I stayed busier and worked harder in the first 6 months than I ever did working in an office. The phone, oh the telephone. My women friends that did not work or had never worked wanted to talk on the phone for hours! I wondered “how do they ever get anything done? They don’t.) I had to have a solution. I had to become unavailable in self defense. I started being outside – a lot! That was a good excuse and I really enjoy that anyway. I did landscaping with retaining walls, built flower beds with drip systems and just enjoyed myself. That was what I wanted to do all along. My friends found others to occupy their idle time and my life began to slow down, finally.
Boredom
The day came when all the projects were done. I was bored. What do I do now? Go back to work full time? Some of my friends had done that. Not on your life! So what to do? I considered building another business. I don’t have the energy for that and besides I needed a “widget” to sell and I don’t have one. E-Bay? No. I can’t stand garage sales and antiques are “old stuff. I don’t like old stuff.
Looking for a part-time job (to go with the one I already had)
One day while I was looking at the available part-time jobs on-line I saw this advertisement for Associated Content. Just out of curiosity I checked it out. After spending 3 or 4 days just looking through the site, reading the requirements and other people’s submissions, I began to think that maybe I could do this. I typed up an article and submitted it. They took it! Amazing how simple it was.
Accolades
Associated Content has been a wonderful outlet for me at this time in my life. I so enjoy the content producers (they are just wonderful people), the support and the fulfillment of self expression it has given to me today. My friends have encouraged me to continue writing. That alone is rewarding. I am very thankful for Associated Content.
