‘To Be or Not to Be’
“To retire or not to retire?” that is the question?
Start weighing the negatives and positives in your mind. Working in a job for 30 or 40 years, lulls you into an atmosphere of ease and contentment about the future. There are no questions of where you have to be Monday through Friday at nine to five.
“I am going to be bored out of my mind!” That statement is the eternal one for people who are contemplating retirement. Followed rapidly by “What am I going to do all day?”
These are reasonable questions, but they are not impossible challenges and uncertainties that have no answer. A little time and planning brings answers and insight into play.
Actually you are not the first person in the history of our universe to think of retirement. Florida is loaded with seniors who found solace in the sun and sand. It does not have to be a case of living in “God’s Waiting Room,” as St. Petersburg was once called. Even Long Island has many opportunities.
If you are still healthy, golf and tennis are available on Long Island. The libraries have many wonderful programs for the silver haired folks. Broadway plays and theater can open your mind to a whole host of thoughts and ideas. College courses and adult education courses can be found readily.
“Do not feel sorry for yourself!” Seek out other retirees of your own ilk and do the “lunch thing.” A new restaurant, some exotic foods will be fun and games in the afternoon. Playing canasta, poker and gin rummy are other games worth learning.
Driving to the south, walking on the boardwalk and viewing the ocean is exhilarating. Exercise is another method of enjoyment. Folk dancing groups abound all over Nassau and Suffolk counties. Book reading discussion groups are easy to find and are stimulating.
I have outlined many activities that are available to the recently retired person. Television is also an option that should not be overindulged in.
Making the decision to retire should not be made on a bright, sunny day. Not every day will be cheerful. Rain and snow are an integral part of Long Island life.
Good luck on your important decision.
