Things that make you think about life...

[Doctor Phibes]

So, I've worked with this guy in Germany for about 15 years. He's a sales engineer, and a very entertaining guy to hang out with. I know I make tired old jokes about Germans and their lack of humour, but this guy really disproved that, he was hilarious.

I met up with him last year, and he was talking about all his plans for retirement, how he was going to run a small travel business, and he'd already started doing it a bit, hosting trips.

I chatted briefly with him by email last Friday.

This morning we get the announcement that he died in his sleep over the weekend. Completely out of the blue.

Shit.

[Horace]

That's sad. RIP.

[jon-nyc]

When I frequented the Early Retirement forums, this was a common theme. You’d hear about people that stayed too long and ‘died in the saddle’ as they would say, or were to infirm to enjoy their retirement when it finally came.

[Renauda]

@Doctor-Phibes

Happens all too often I’m afraid. Sorry to hear this, am certain he was one of those good men and women who deserve a long and healthy retirement.

[George K]

Sorry to hear, Phibes.

There are people who define themselves as what their profession was. I knew an OB who was diagnosed with kidney cancer - kept on working though he could have retired. I don't get it.

Sounds like your associate had a good plan, it's a pity that it was cut short.

[Mik]

Then there are those who cannot adjust to retirement and die soon after. All sad.

But tomorrow is not guaranteed.

[Doctor Phibes]

It's fair to say that he wasn't exactly workaholic, but he was great entertainment value.

He taught me all about the use of the insult 'weichei'.

During the lockdown, I logged onto a meeting with him and a rather serious German customer. He had this very industrial looking wallpaper as his back-screen, and with a cheeky smile asked if I knew what it was. The look of horror on the other German's faces when he told me it was the Peenemünde research facility had me literally crying with laughter during the meeting.

[89th]

Darn it, sorry to hear Doc. That's a shame.

[Jolly]

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.

There is no guarantee of tomorrow or even ten minutes from now. Live appropriately.

[taiwan_girl]

A couple cliche, but still true:

You can't add time to the end of your retirement, only to the beginning.

No one on their deathbed ever said that they wished they would have spent more time at the office.

[George K]

@taiwan_girl said in Things that make you think about life...:

You can't add time to the end of your retirement, only to the beginning.

I'd never heard that! So true.

I was able to stop taking call and work part time at age 64. Made all the difference. Then, a year later, I said, "Why bother at all?"

[89th]

My goal is to retire in 15 years, if the market does better, perhaps earlier. I'd be 57. My wife said I'll get bored, but I've never been that personality, I have so many other things I'd rather do during the day... golf, workout, watch movies or tv, read classics, write, photography, hike, swim, get a massage, sleep in, travel... man oh man I would never ever get bored.

[George K]

@89th said in Things that make you think about life...:

My goal is to retire in 15 years, if the market does better, perhaps earlier. I'd be 57.

I could have retired at 60 - except health insurance was unaffordable. My group covered me until I turned 65. That's the only reason I kept gong for another 4 years.

Boredom is not an issue for me either.

[Horace]

My primary hobby of sitting on a chair in the middle of the room and staring at the wall, seems inexhaustible. It pains me to be torn away from it by work and other things.

[Doctor Phibes]

I'd retire this year if it wasn't for the cost of health insurance.

[Jolly]

Signed my first papers at 52.

I still work PRN.

[Copper]

@Doctor-Phibes said in Things that make you think about life...:

health insurance.

check obamacare

[Doctor Phibes]

@Jolly said in Things that make you think about life...:

Signed my first papers at 52.

I still work PRN.

I'd still happily work p/t if I retired, just not at what I do now.

[jon-nyc]

I threw in the towel at 44. Special circumstances of course. My plan always (since I was probably 20) had been 50.

[Horace]

I'll keep doing this as long as they let me.