SLAVERY AND THE DEFERRED ENJOYMENT PLAN
How much time will it take? Less than you think. On the other hand, it won’t happen overnight. I have seen many of the “get rich quick” schemes out there and the only ones getting rich are the ones selling the idea. While income replacement does take time, it takes much less time than the deferred enjoyment plan that most Americans call retirement. Most Americans work their asses off for 30 to 40 years, in careers that in most cases they hate, with the thought of endless fishing or golf playing in front of them. After this long, methodical journey of slavery there are no long days at the country club or fishing hole, but rather, it’s sitting at home arguing with their spouse. Why? Because fishing or golfing can only take up so much of your time and most retirees find the cost of such activities to be too far out of their retirement budget to do frequently. Also, many retirees find that after a lifetime of being a producer, having nothing to do will drive them up the wall. It is a known fact that many people, men especially, die shortly after they retire.
Some people work for 40 years to get to a point of retirement, buy a motor home for the long trips they have planned to all the places they haven’t yet seen, and guess what happens? Often, by the time they retire, many have medical issues and tire too quickly for extended travel. In some cases the motor-home is practically brand new, because the big trips across the country to see all they haven’t seen has turned into a retirement of taking care of their children’s children (grandchildren but not your responsibility). Work all your lives to start a geriatric day care!
This is another causality of the American Deferred Life Plan. Our children live with parents that are working so hard and are so tired they are emotionally unavailable, while trying to penny pinch their way to a successful retirement. The average American misses out on their own children’s childhood, so they try to recapture it in their grandchildren’s childhood. Many retirees exchange being a slave for their boss to being a slave to their adult children’s baby-sitting schedules.
I think I have a better plan. What about not deferring enjoyment? What about traveling and enjoying my life, my children, and my spouse now, while I am still young enough to do everything I want to do, and never retiring (at least not in the traditional sense)? I want to continue to do what I am doing because quite frankly, I love what I do. If you follow the advice in this book, you will discover what you love to do as well and if you love what you are doing, why stop? If you travel often and have all the free time you want, what is the point of traditional retirement?
Interesting post. I think that there are a lot of people that want to make sure that retirement is enjoyable and you are correct, many of them do rv fulltime. There are even some that are young fulltimers that are not of retirement age.
Posted by: Retirement RVs | 2009.11.02 at 01:39 PM