Premature Retirement

by Valencia
(Georgia)

Hi. I was forced to retire on disability due to severe back and health problems.

What I have learned is how unfair it is for people like me, who have worked all of my life, only to find that I was unable to save enough to be comfortable now.

I raised one daughter and help with my grandson, and she is disabled and on SSI and SSD because of mental issues. We moved in together to save money and live better, even moving to another state in the South. That was a good decision.

Because of how I was forced out of working, my life is totally different. I was accustomed to being busy most of the time, and now I am searching for things to do that are inexpensive.

So, I have turned into a cookie baking grandmother, which is really so different from being a college professor.

At first I felt as if I was rejected by people at work, then I realized I invested so much of my energy into working that I lost focus on my relationships and personal life. Then the rule is that the retirement portion from the job I cannot receive until I am 55. Thank God I'm 54!

Some days I get so bored and discouraged! But I think I am finally adjusting to my much more relaxed new life, and it is a blessing. In a few months I will have access to the rest of my retirement, so I hope to buy a car, since mine was repossessed. I could no longer afford the payments on SSD.

I have learned to be content with less of everything, and depend solely on God for He takes such care of me and always has.

There is a lot I don't understand about my IRA and taxes, etc. and I hope to learn more now. I would love to hear from anyone who has experienced a similar situation to myself.

Comments for Premature Retirement

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Thanks
by: Valencia

I enjoyed reading all of your comments. Thank you for suggestions. I'm thinking of creating a cookbook for busy parents. Also some sort of life coaching for people who feel so confused in this generation. Please keep the comments coming.
Cookie Baking Gramdmother
by: Joe W.

I have seen many seniors with relatively high positions in Society then get somewhat crushed by health problems. This is becoming par for the course that affects many seniors 50+.

Have you thought about what you are going to do in pre-retirement yet irrespective of the present health problems? eg. new cookie recipe or maybe a fantastic cookbook to write and sell.

Joe W.
Something new to do
by: Retd. Prof. Durgeshkumar Srivastava, New Delhi, India

Dear forced-into-retirement Friend,

Retirement is a life changing event, giving you a lot more spare time every day. Te entire week is now a week end. You must find something to fill your day and the best thing is to find new activities.

Begin by subscribing to additional newspapers. Each new newspaper you subscribe takes from 30 minutes to 60 minutes to read. So, if you subscribe to 4 newspapers you have something to do for at least two hours every day. Add some magazines to your reading list.

If you are not on social media now, become a member of one or two social media sites. You get the opportunity to read new material, write something and share it with others and make new friends. When I needed blood donations before my heart byepass surgery, I put out an appeal on social media and a dozen students came forward and made the requisite blood donation for me.

When my desktop computer broke down recently, I felt sort of stress because I could not post on facebook. I posted an appeal and within days a fb friend came to my home and lent his laptop to me. i invite you to be my fb friend by clicking on my fb page URL facebook.com/durgeshkumar.srivastava.9

My uncle and aunt devoted one hour every day after their retirement to make unhurried phone calls to relatives and friends. They earmarked INR 5000 for such phone bills in their monthly budget.

I go to the nearby park twice every day and sit with a group of fellow retirees to gossip. I love sleeping and was sleep deprived most of my working life. Now, I have surplus sleep. ha ha ha

My best wishes to you. DKS, 24 Nov., 2014
Comments for Premature Retirement
by: Nancy

You sound like you are focusing on the positives and going through normal adjustment.

I like what you said about the blessings and relying on God. I was older than you when I retired, but it took me a long time to adjust to not being busy all the time like you did.

Now I see it as a blessing too.

My arthritis has gotten a whole lot worse the last 2 years and I could not keep up the pace. So I see this retirement as a blessing. I am glad you are here in this group.

This Retirement group is great, thanks to Wendy.

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