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I voluntarily retired at 73. I had been pretty much pushed aside at work, although I continued to be productive. Retirement was not what I planned, but now that I am 76, I have learned a few things and accept what comes my way.
"Don't look back. We're not going that way".
-Ragnar, Vikings
I've caught myself ruminating on those long nights when I can't sleep. It has helped me to better understand a few things in my life, more about others than about myself, but it doesn't change anything other than my attitude. Use what you've learned from your ruminations to make a better future, but don't dwell on "what if". You're not going that way.
I know at this age (I'm 77), it's probably silly to even think about the fork in the road. For me I did not have much say as to what road I would take. I was very meek and thought everyone else knew what was "best" for me.
Turns out "they" didn't know either.
So now as most of my lifetime has passed, I do regret taking that road. Even if the other fork wasn't better, at least it would have been my choice.
Can anyone relate?
Well, it wasn't "A" fork in the road. There are many of them. One single fork cannot decide your future, many forks can. I look back and view them as missed road signs. I just went for what pleased me at the moment.
I made it to a great many forks in the road. No one made up my mind or even pushed me to make specific choices. I don't have regrets but sometimes I do wonder how different the outcomes and future choices would have been had I chosen the other fork.
To this I would add, though that some forks...well when I arrived, it was chosen for me.
And that a few times I KNOW I chose the RIGHT fork, other time s I KNOW I chose the WRONG fork .
Both of those times I knew it at the time, at least for the RIGHT fork.
The forks that are past are past, regardless of the outcome.
Some forks I'm still on and are as yet still a mystery. And these here forks may be the most important forks of my life, so I'd best choose well.
My fork choice was okay but could have been a lot better had I stuck around with the hedge fund billionaire's company in late 90's with his $70k/yr assistant, and staff. Stocks didn't click with me at the time nor was going to work at 4:30 am an option in my 20s. Needless to say, the hedge guy retired, invests and donates to charitable causes. I read in the paper the assistant bought 200+ homes during the recession so I guess he got some pretty good investment advice from his boss. Both were really good guys before striking it rich so I'm happy for them.
I was forced to take the fork I did not want to take at the time but as I aged, I realized it was the best thing that could have happened.
I was 25 and fresh off a divorce (wife and two kids) and emotionally starved. I wanted a traditional life. I met a divorced woman (my age) with one child. I so badly wanted to marry her but she broke up with me, a whole other story. The road we would have gone down would have been a traditional marriage including kids which she ended up going down.
I became a bit cold hearted after both those rejections. A few years later I met an awesome gal who wanted a professional life meaning no kids and we both worked. I realized that this sounded good to me. Well it turned out f'in awesome. I had a great 35 year marriage with her. We did well. She died four years ago but being financially comfortable (by far not rich) eased the pain some. She is always on my mind. Not a day goes by that I do not think about her and realize how fortunate I was.
Now I am a dirty old man with a young girl friend.....LOL
The forks in my road have been mostly education choices.
Had I been more mature in my college years, I would have been a finance major and I would have worked harder for better grades. A tax attorney would have been another smart move.
My fork happened when I was 18. As soon as I graduated high school, I was told to leave my home and never come back due to being kicked out of my families religion. I moved in with a friend and scraped by for a few years until getting an education in fish technology. That turned into a 31 year career with Oregon Fish and Wildlife. I retired in 2011 with a good pension. My wife of 44 years is still with me and we are enjoying life. best fork ever! No looking back, no regrets.
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