A taste of things to come

I try to be a glass half-full kind of guy. 

I wrote last week in my post, Back to Work!, about how my wife broke her hand in December and couldn’t wait to get back to work. While that was a frustrating experience for her, I loved having her home with me.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I work from home. I could finish up a work call, pop out of my makeshift office in one of our spare bedrooms, and chat with her about whatever was on my mind. We could have lunch together or just hang for a few minutes. I loved it too because it gave us a tryout of sorts of what retirement may look like sometime down the road. Yup, that’s me always seeing the positives in the dark, gray clouds!

Retirement dreams

When I think of my retirement, yes, I want to travel, spend time on hobbies, and, of course, work on a few bucket list items. I know I want to spend a good amount of time writing too. More importantly, I’ll want to spend the largest chunk of my time with my wife. Oh, I bet she’s excited to read that news!

Yes, yes, I hear husbands and wives talk all the time about dreading the day when both are retired and at home because they fear getting on each other’s nerves or running afoot of each other. I’ve never had that fear. I don’t really care how we spend our time, we could spend time traveling or even just hanging out at home, but I know I want to spend time with her. She’s my best friend, why wouldn’t I want to spend time with her?

Wishful thinking

Oh, let’s be honest, I have my moments and can annoy my wife with the best of them. She especially gets annoyed when I try to imitate her voice. She says it makes her sound like a crazy woman, I say it’s spot on. Yes, I’m definitely in the dog house now. But no matter what, I think we’ll each find our own interests.

Now we’re years away from retirement, but I must say that I find myself watching wistfully when the retirement commercials come on television. The commercials starts innocent enough, there’s a shot of a couple, canoeing or hiking somewhere. They look like they don’t have a care in the world.

When I close my eyes and think about retirement, I see my wife and me. We have lots of time yet to get there. I suspect I’ll be working at least part time, maybe consulting or writing, for a long time, but I’m definitely looking forward to the time when our schedules coincide and we’re regularly coming together to catch coffee or go out to lunch. 

Now, we just need to make it happen. And I need to stay out of my wife’s crosshairs! Yikes!

31 thoughts on “A taste of things to come”

  1. My husband has been home with me for 14 months. We’ve been busy in that time – we’re building our homestead with our own hands — but we’ve been together all day every day. Today, he goes back to work. It’s going to be weird.

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    1. Yes, I agree Jane. I may be naive, but I think we’ll have plenty to keep us busy. Just enough me-projects to keep busy, but then enough time together to keep us healthy and thankful for what we have. Thank you for sharing, really great to hear that about you. Love that you’re loving your life now!!!!!

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  3. Make a bucket list with your wife of things you’d like to try, do and explore once you are retired. It’s very easy, without the push of other demands, to let the days all roll into one another, until the weeks go by, and then the months… And separate time will be important too, so you can get a break from being on each other’s nerves! LOL

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  5. My husband has been working remotely since 2020. He would like to retire in the next few years. I like the fact that he’s still working because it gives me alone time to write. But we take breaks and go for walks during the day. We walk into each other’s work spaces to share and talk. I’m not sure what it will be like when he’s free all day!

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  7. Oh my gosh Brian, this is such a funny rumination. I love this, “She especially gets annoyed when I try to imitate her voice.” All I have to say is, just remember to duck to avoid getting hit by any sharp objects my friend! 😂😲🤣 You don’t want to be forced to retire earlier than you expect! 🥂

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    1. Ha, ha, yes, that is some good advice. If I was smart, I would just stop while I was ahead, but the problem now is that I do the imitation without thinking. It’s going to mean the death of me one day! Ha, ha. I probably should ask my wife if she likes having me home. I might get a different answer. Ha, ha.

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      1. Oh honey, my husband teases me too. Sometimes it gets on my nerves, but when I really think about his “Standup Impersonation” it makes me laugh my behind off. 😂😜🤣 Without laughter, what in the world would we do??? 😜

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  8. I guess I’m lucky, Brian, as I’m retired on medical grounds anyway, so have been blessed with plenty of time to write, at least, although I don’t have the money to even dream about a bucket list. I actually reach the official retirement age next September. I can’t believe how quickly that time is galloping towards me!

    I’m inclined to agree with one of your earlier readers, Josborne. in suggesting you make a bucket list with your wife. I don’t know your age or when your retirement age is over there, but our retirement age is 66/67 – far too late. I’m glad you have had the opportunity to work from home, as, at least, when your wife is there, you can have coffee or lunch together, as you mentioned. I expect you’ll still need to combine having time together and time apart to do your ‘own thing.’

    I hadn’t heard of the word ‘crosshairs’, so I had to google it. You learn something new every day!

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    1. Yes, a bucket list is a good thing. I suspect I’ll have a job for awhile yet, but I think the difference is the type of job and the amount of stress. I can see the time coming when I’m going to want less responsibility. We’ll see. And yes, time does fly. That’s really my reason for writing this piece, starting my thinking so that I’m ready in a few years!

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  9. Ah…I think you’ll do fine! Love that you two joke with each other — and you imitate her voice, eh? That sounds like fun! I’m sure she torments you in her own ways. 😉 Thanks for the smile! 😊

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    1. Oh yes, yes, yes, I am such a tormented soul! Poor, poor me! Ha, ha. No, sadly, I’m probably the one who does most of the tormenting and pestering. We’re still a good ways away from retiring to some Caribbean beach, but it’s nice to dream.

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  11. True story.
    My grandfather was a barber with his own barbershop for 60 years. He told my grandmother he thought it was time to retire when he was 85 so he closed his shop one day and stayed home with her for a few days at which point she turned to him and said, George, I don’t care what you do at that barbershop but I want you to go back every day just like you always have. I can’t have you here at the house.
    My granddad went back to work for another couple of years!
    Be careful what you wish for – and good luck!

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  12. I have many colleagues who retired on the last while – I have 12.5 years to go, I’m not counting or anything – and they all share the same observation that they just fill up their days with activities. I have no doubt you’ll find a way to do the same while keeping the peace with the spouse! 🙂

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  13. Health permitting, like Ellie, I probably have about 12 years before I retire. My husband, who is older, retired last year. I guess he will need to learn to adjust once I retire. He’s used to having the house to himself. I do work from home a couple of days a week, but one of those days he’s visiting his mum.

    I must admit I do dream about all the things I want to do when retire – or even before then. Hubby likes to stay home, so I need a travel buddy. That said, I would travel alone if need be.

    Enjoy your dreams and planning.

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  14. This one reminds me of the famous old adage, “I married him for better or for worse but not for lunch.” I dunno Brian, lunch or no lunch, I suspect she’ll keep you around as long as you’re around and you’re blessed to have each other! 👏

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  15. Just started “first” retirement back in June after both of us were working from home throughout the pandemic. My wife still works from home, but our secret whether both of us are working here or not is…she has the lower floor…I have the upper. We are indeed fortunate to have a big enough living space we can “shelter in place” and keep the peace lol!

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