Dear Kim, Loveday, Edey, Sunshinetriva, Deborahmichell, Cyn and Pat,

I was so delighted to find all your welcomes in my inbox. How very kind of you to respond.  I have to admit that I am indeed very happy.  Of course, it is easier for me than many people because I enjoy perfect health (to which, incidentally, I do not claim any right-grin). I have just been blessed with great genetics.  Many thanks to all my ancestors shining down upon me.

 A couple of you mentioned this was your dream as well--getting out of the city and the rat race. I urge you to have faith in the future you have not yet seen.  I personally never, ever thought that I would be free of the working world.  I began working at 15 and just finished at 67.  I never liked working.  I have to laugh, because I was raised in the "June Cleaver" generation when I was supposed to go to two years of college, find a successful "Provider" ie: Ward, and have a tract home, and 2.5 children.  As it happens, none of that did. : )  I never really owned much in my life, women's earnings being what they are, but I never, never felt the lack of material things.  As one person said to me many years ago, "Sharon, you just don't DEMAND enough from life."  But from the earliest time I can remember, all I ever prayed for was personal peace.  While other people had goals, I had none that anyone could understand.  Now, I was not a Hippie, did not opt out and was not trying to "make a statement".  It was just that the things which other people valued weren't that important to me. I have nothing against ambition or material accumulation, I just had this personal quirk of not caring about them.  I have never paid more than $15 dollars for a pair of shoes and if they fit, I wore them till they fell apart.  Tsk, tsk.  No fashion sense. It never occured to me to look at anyone's shoes.  I do however, really enjoy the fashion magazines and I am in awe of a pair of shoes that costs $2,300. I suppose if you have that kind of money, the price seems reasonable.  But in the long run, I guess others got what they wanted and I got what I wanted, and so life is good wherever you are.

 I worked with alcoholics, drug addicts, gambling addicts and others whose lives had collapsed to the point of living in dumpsters.  I saw them only after their lives had reached a true bottom point.  I was responsible for giving "encouraging" daily wrap-ups to the clients.  Many of my co-workers made fun of me.  But one of the things I said was that the good news about hitting bottom and loosing everything is that the slate is wiped clean. When we are in the period of building our lives, we start to accumulate.  Frequently, we don't think too much about adding to that continually.  What can happen, is we wake up one day, look around and say, "What on earth am I doing with all this "stuff".  Anyone who has ever moved knows this feeling intimately.  Well, it was my point that through the years we just keep adding and adding---that is what we are supposed to do in a consumer society.  But there can come a time when our things begin to own us and when we worry about losing them. So of course things have to be insured, and theft can happen and then you don't have your things to tell you who you are or how successful you are---and that's a bummer.  So, when your life gets just leveled to the ground, it is the opportunity to evaluate what was of true importance to you. Since you have nothing, and you are now older, you can replace only the items that really say who you are at the inner level.  For instance, you may have had all post-modern, minimalist furnishings and suddenly realize that they no longer represent your taste.  Maybe you decide you don't need a Lexus and a second had car has wheels and will get you where you want to go. It is amazing how we have things stuck to us that we really would not want if we chose now. I don't need much.  So of course, I am happy with what would be considered "less"--it's my lack of "values"--GRIN

 Dear fiasc224, It sound as though you are ready to enjoy your retirement on your terms! I'm glad you feel welcome and chime in anywhere you see fit  I have enjoyed this site and I know you will also. 

cyn

Dear Fiasc224,

Welcome,

I am not quite where you are yet, but I do see changes taking place that are moving me in this direction.  I love this site because of that.  It helps you identify your important things, needs and desires and helps you let go of the others. 

I hope you enjoy this site also.  It is a fun and friendly place.

Dear Fiasc, I just want to write again to tell you how eloquent you are.  Keep your posts comign, please!  Yours in Hiim, Deb

 What a beautiful post!  You write so well. 

I too am happy to not be working. I turned my back on the working world at 54, fortunately my Dh and I could draw good pensions. We enjoy not having to be out in the stressful world of public service. We feel that we did our part to support our family and our community, now it is our time to live peacefully and slowly. I envy you your place of residence; a dream of mine would be to live either near the beach or in the mountains, or both, and would want that place to be a small village.  Someday--------------.  

Edey

welcome,  i like your outlook on life and things.  i think when you retire and the older you get, the more material things dont bother you.  after all you won't be taking it with you.  i'm retired and i cleaned the front room and kitchen really good, [walls and all].   while doing that , i thought to myself , karen, why in the world do you have all this 'stuff' to clean and move around. wouldn't it be more simple to declutter and then it wont take so long to clean.  well, that worked for my kitchen, but im sorry to say, not my front room.  i cleaned it all and put it all back  and i have been around when grandparents and parents have died and something has to be done with all the 'stuff'.  so, im not rich and im not poor,  i have just enough,  well more than enough , but my need to acquire more, more more is gone   After all i only have 2 hands[older hands] , not 10 to take care of it

Dear Karen,

Wow, I'm impressed!  You did the walls!?  and your kitchen is simplified? Even in this small apartment which is kind of a mini house, the kitchen is the worst mess. Of course, I don't have many cabinets.  This place was likely a stay over lodging for train crews.  I live in Portola, CA and it was originally a railroad company town and switching station beginning in 1909.  One thing about being in such a small place, is that I have to keep things put away or I can't walk through the place.  Even tho I brought little (compared to what I had) with me, I still had to take a jigsaw puzzle approach to get the desks, drawers, bed etc. into it. Plus whenever i work on the crafts, things fly.  I love it when I am done with a project and pick it all up and can see the top of my working table again.  It is so small I don't have livingroom furniture, I opted for the art station because I don't have visitors.  However, even if I did, they would have to sit on one of the three chairs (two desk kind and one wingback).  I sure understand why you can't get rid of some of the stuff.  I have no family momentos or pictures or anything.  I only had the things I had acquired.  Would it help if you started scrapbooking?  Obviously you have a computer, so you could scan the precious pics on the wall and use the duplicates for a book and get them off the walls.  But then, you must also have memorabilia and you can't put them in a book.  I guess the important thing is that you enjoy whatever it is you keep. It is lovely to be free and feel rich, isn't it?  All we ever hear is about the "miserable, depressed, deprived seniors".  I know that exists,but by the grace of God you and I are not among them, but I wish someone would start talking about the  "happy, optimistic, coping seniors". I guess good news is never news---Alas!  And yes, I agree that many of us are not as interested in "stuff" as we mature. 

Dear Cyn,

Yep, enjoyment is the focus of my life. I always said that work seriously interfered with my play time.  They can't stop me now!  Grin

Dear Mary,  Rock on!  I bet you can't wait to be free.  How sensible of you to find a site that promotes your future plans.  I never actually thought of planning because I never thought this could happen.  When it was possible I turned into a whirlwind to get out of "Dodge".  I lived in Reno, Nevada.  I have nothing against it but I could never go to events because it was too hot, and I don't care for nightlife or gambling.  (I am grateful for that) and I did get to do some great photography  there since there is a river that runs through town and Fall is lovely.  Nevertheless, I am thrilled to be somewhere I can take a walk on the city streets (right down the middle of them if I want) and never see a car.  Another plus is that tho I live one block over from the "main street" nothing goes on there either.  This would certainly not be for everyone, but my reading, photography and art projects keep me happily busy. 

Hope you are having lovely weather!

Sharon

Dear Deborah m,  How very kind of you to say such a lovely thing to me.  I can't tell you how much it made me smile and how I delighted in your words.  With encouragement like yours, who would want to leave the site?  I live in Portola, CA and last night we had the first snow.  Now I know that most people do not like snow, but I love it.  Fall and Winter are my favorite times of year because I don't "do" heat well.  Of course, if I had not awakened at midnight I would have missed the snow as it is all melted now, but it is still dark and gloomy and quite chilly out.  Especially since it had been in the upper 80's until 4 days ago.  When it changes in the Sierra, it changes fast.  That, (off the subject) is what happened to the Donner party.  The weather was lovely when they left Reno and you know what happened on the mountain.  It can change in less than 3 hours.  They shoulda listened to the Indians!

 Thanks again for the encouragement,

Sharon