I’ve celebrated my last birthday.  I must admit that once I’d turned sixty, I was definitely looking forward to 65.  The last five years of my career were tough, long years!  Because of my wife’s transfer to Portland from Austin, I once again had to start a new job.   I was unmotivated for advancement, not feeling particularly competitive, and too satisfied with income.  I was fortunate to have a pension plan that started at age 65, so I had looked to that monumental birthday for relief.  The good news is that I had five years to practice for retirement, and spent a lot of time preparing for that stage of life.  I prepared schedules to make sure I could keep busy, sought counseling to make sure I was making the right decision, and talked to those who had already taken the step to seek their advice.  I came to the conclusion that retirement was the greatest job of all, and envied those that held that coveted position.

My Dad had the opportunity to retire from a Fortune 500 company after 35 years when he was 55 with full lifetime salary.  I never really talked to him about it, but in reflection feel that he struggled with not working.  He tried a few part-time positions to keep himself busy, did some volunteer work, but really had no hobbies. My goal was to retire early when he did, but I had some big financial set-backs with the stock market crash and bad real estate investments.   I got the impression that my Dad was bored in retirement, but by the time I got ready to talk with him about it he had issues with dementia.   Like him, I had no real hobbies, so there was undue concern.  To him, it may have been like walking off a plank, but in reality he had no time to think and plan around it.  It just happened!

Since I had two new jobs in my last ten years, I had plenty of time for practice.  I also had a sales position with lot’s of schedule flexibility.  My Dad had a desk job as a Controller and maintained a lot more structure with his office schedule.  I was ready for retirement while he was not.  It just solidifies my theory that like anything else in life, the more you practice the better you are at it.   I’ve also had a lot of practice celebrating birthdays.  I’m adding them to my list of things you give up in retirement.

I’ve emphasized in prior posts that in retirement you give up weekends, holidays, and vacations.  Birthdays could be considered a holiday, but unless you’re Jesus, a President, or Martin Luther King, it’s not always a day off.  From this point on, I will treat my Birthday as just another day, just like these other now extinct days.  After all, I’m in a stage when health is everything and age now means nothing.  There are no higher Senior Citizen discounts, and no great urge for me to get to that 100 year milestone.  No offense to others, but I personally don’t want to be wrinkled, weak, and toothless.   I’m happy with my life, satisfied with my accomplishments, and prepared for the inevitable.  All I would want for any birthday would be travel, and I plan to do that regularly.  When I can’t travel, I won’t be happy – even though preparing for travel and its related hassles don’t always thrill me.

I will continue to strive to make other people’s Birthday special.  After all, I fondly recall my 10th birthday with my dad at a baseball game, my 16th when I got my driver’s licence, my 21st when I could legally drink and vote (although it occurred on a Sunday), my 50th at Disney World, 60th in Italy, and 63rd when I turned “21 for the 3rd Time.”  I even went to the trouble and expense to legally copyright, “Just Turned 21 for the Third Time,” with the intention of creating another memorable year of life with buttons, t-shirts, and gift baskets, but ran out of energy before taking the next steps.  I don’t remember much about 25, 30, 40, or 42 (21 for the Second Time) for some reason, but I’m sure the reason being that there was heavy drinking involved!  I took my wife to Tahiti and Bora-Bora for her 60th birthday to make up for ruining her 50th with a kidney stone attack.  At least I gave her a Rock!  Tonight we’ll celebrate her oldest daughter’s 36th with a dining extravaganza.  Birthday Bear will join us, as he always does, an American Greetings Toy (Care Bear series) dating back to her 1st Birthday.  I’ve also written hundreds of Birthday poems for friends, family, and co-workers.

It’s always somebody’s birthday and I will always be the first to say “Happy Birthday.”  I just won’t be celebrating mine on August 27th, because for me everyday is now a vacation, holiday, weekend, and Birthday all rolled into one!