ramblings of a .........

[Casey]

I'll be 55 Nov 20th. I'm seriously looking at retirement and after working for the government for almost 29 years now I'm thinking of setting up my own business.

Casey

[Donnie]

Ambrose, I,ll be 53 in about three months. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you! Measure the risk, take the chance. Try not to ever look back and wish you had done it differently!

[Hamish]

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(side note: hamish, i have to love you, man. You mentioned once of traveling 30 miles, round trip, to pick up something at the store. my daily jaunt to work is 130 miles round trip. ) i'm just tired of doing that.
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Firstly, Ambrose, allow me to wish you a belated Very Happy Birthday (it's already after 2.00am on 29th here in the UK!).

Of course, I am now retired, but for 26 years of my working life I commuted to work by a 122 miles daily round trip by car, train and London underground, which took just over 24 hours in every six day period (I worked a six-day week) - so I know just how you feel.

I have never possessed a 'gift' or skill that I could use to provide a regular income, and so was always employed in pretty boring managerial positions by others. Not being an adventurous soul, I had to be content with that life - or starve. However, and I realise that this is not quite the same as your dilemma, at the age of 62 I was offered early retirement with an absolutely minimal Company pension. It took me several weeks to make up my mind to accept that offer and, having done my arithmetic, I decided that I could just exist on that pension for three years (until the State Pension kicked in), but it meant giving up holidays, day trips out eating out, visits to theatres and cinemas, etc., etc. ....... and so I went for it! The three years that followed were tough, but I have never regretted doing what I did.

Fortunately, my house mortgage had already been paid up, I owed not a penny to anyone and I had no family to support.

The fact that I never had children is a great sadness to me. My loving partner of 36 years died a year or two before the offer of retirement came along, so I had no-one else to consider but myself.

You are in a different boat, but I would say to you, if you can afford to make this change, can continue to provide a good home and food to eat, then you should do it. If you don't you could regret it for the rest of your life.

Whatever your decision, I wish you Good Luck and many years of health and happiness.

Take care,
Ham.
(PS: In case anyone is wondering how this poor, impoverished man living off a State Pension can afford to buy kilts with indecent regularity: Just two years into my retirement, my father died and I was able to sell his house which he had bequeathed to me.

Just thought I'd mention that!)

[bikercelt1]

Happy Birthday Ambrose. Let me just share a thought that has held me over on many a troubled night. It goes something like this (not an exact quote mind you): Consider the birds of thhe air and the Lilies of the field, they neither toil or spin and yet even King Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

I once had a job that was tedious but well paid, I worked my way into an apprentiship in a craft thhat excited me and all looked great. Six months before completion of my apprentiship was up the company folded up tents and left town. Since the apprentiship was an internal program the Union would not recognise it and I was too old to be elligble to start again. I went back to school and nailed down two Bachelors degrees. Neither of them opened any doors for me and in fact they closed some because I was "overqualified". I sometimes suffer fits of anger over my unrealised goals and dreams, especially when I would have been able to take early retirement last year if my career had not been interupted. With my financial situation now I will never be able to retire, I will have to work to the grave. But thhen I think of the scripture I quoted, and I remember the co-workers who died on the job, and I think of the blessings I've had by being a stay at home parent for my daughters. I am severly underemployed, but I love the product and my customers. All in all I've had a great time.

So, Ambrose, if you have a chance to persue a new direction do it! Don't be reckless but don't be so safe thhat life passes you by and leaves you with nothing but "a bag of should".

Kind of a weird Birthday greeting, but thhere you go.

Jamie

[Rhino]

Hi Ambrose, it's not so long ago I was asking much the same question.
I say go for it, the only things I truly regret are the things I didn't do.
Take a chance, do it part time to keep the pennies rolling in and see if it expands.
Be prepared though, I get to look at this board about twice a week now, and don't have time to post too often.
Good luck Rhino

[Blu (Ontario)]

.... In case anyone is wondering how this poor, impoverished man living off a State Pension can afford to buy kilts with indecent regularity: Just two years into my retirement, my father died and I was able to sell his house which he had bequeathed to me.Just thought I'd mention that!)

Hamish, Now I understand why each and every one of your kilts means so much to you. In your case, your kilts they are obviously much more than a garment. In a sense, each kilt bought with that inheritance is a little salutation to the man. I think its wonderful.

cheers,
blu

[Jimmy Carbomb]

Ramble-on fellow!

Let me tell you a little about my life in the last 10 months.

WAS:
~Divorced after 19 years of "marriage"... FINALLY.
~Left corporate job of 15 years of H_LL!
~Sold interest in kilt company.
~Gave house to ex.

IS:
~Remarrying a WONDERFUL and honest woman...
~New job directing a company with smart, honest and humble partner...
~Playing in Celtic Band with GREAT music...
~Living in a 3-story on a Golf Course.

There comes a time in a man's life where you just gotta say, "What the...".

If "it's" out there, you'll know.

[Raphael]

I am self employed also and it feels great. I can schedule my work/appointments around my family and myself. I spend less time commuting in traffic and more time grounded. Also, I don't have to wear that business monkey suit for over 10 hours a day. That is an absolute bonus.

You gotta try it before you decide whether that is for you or not. If you are doing soemthing that you are passionate about, go for it. You should also check around your neighbourhood for self-employment courses. It really comes in handy.

[bubba]

Determine what it is you want then realistically plan how to do it. If you're truely passionate about something chances are someone is willing to pay you to do it.

[Casey]

Bubba,

I agree. Find something that no one else wants to do and you probably have an enterprise.

Casey