I started my retirement journey about 10 years ago.
My wife and I were visiting her sister in Georgia. Since it was mostly the ladies spending time together, I found myself sitting on the back porch with my laptop, thinking about what retirement might have in store for me.
At the time, I had been working in the cemetery industry for more than 20 years. I enjoyed my work and the people I worked with, and I knew I wasn’t quite ready to retire. When you find a career you truly enjoy, it’s not always easy to walk away from it.
Still, retirement was getting closer, and I knew I needed a plan.
Working in the cemetery industry, I heard countless stories from retirees. Some talked about traveling. Others talked about hobbies. Many joked about driving their spouse crazy after retirement. One thing I knew for sure was that I didn’t want that to happen to my family.
As I sat on that porch, I started asking myself a simple question:
What am I going to do with all this free time?
My work ethic started at an early age. After graduating from high school, I worked on our family farm for about a year. Then I decided I wanted to serve my country, so I followed in my uncle’s footsteps and joined the United States Marine Corps.
Looking back, joining the Marines was one of the best decisions I ever made. It taught me discipline, responsibility, and determination—qualities that served me well throughout my life.
While I was in the Marines, I often listened to the “lifers” talk about their plans after retirement. Years later, I found myself listening to coworkers, friends, and customers share their retirement dreams as well.
Over the years, I learned a lot from those conversations.
As the years passed, I celebrated turning 65, then 70, and eventually 75. Like many people, I began noticing that my body and mind weren’t quite what they used to be. To be honest, that realization scared me a little.
Then life threw me a few challenges.
Both of my hips started giving me problems, and I had to give up one of my favorite activities—working in the yard. I needed to find new ways to stay active and engaged.
Fortunately, I’ve always enjoyed working on the computer. I also had a large collection of sports cards that needed to be inventoried. That gave me a project and helped fill some of my days.
Then my granddaughter, who has been collecting Pokémon cards for years, asked me to help her expand her collection. Suddenly, I had another hobby and another way to spend quality time with family.
For most of my adult life, I was involved in affiliate marketing. Eventually, I decided it was time to step away from it. One day, I looked at my wife of 60 years and told myself I was done.
But after I stopped, I realized something important.
It left a void.
Retirement isn’t just about leaving a job. It’s about replacing the purpose, routine, and structure that work once provided.
One of the greatest blessings of retirement has been spending more time with my family. Those moments have become more valuable to me than ever before.
A few years ago, I also suffered a minor stroke. As a result, my family decided it was time for me to give up my driver’s license.
If you’re a senior reading this, you know how difficult that can be. Losing some of your independence is never easy.
Today, at 83 years old, I’m still looking for new ways to stay active and involved. One of those ways is building websites and learning new things.
That’s one of the reasons I created:
My goal is to create a place where retirees can share experiences, stay informed, discover new ideas, and learn from one another.
Retirement isn’t the end of the journey.
It’s simply the beginning of a new chapter.
I plan to write more articles about retirement in the future, and I’d love to hear your story as well.
If you would like to share your retirement experience, please send an article between 600 and 1,000 words to:
ron@yourlifeafterretirement.com
I may feature your story on the website.
Until next time,
Ron White
