Retirement...Hum...

[Deleted]

I have been retired for a long time now. I was forced into it by an injury. So, really, I am disabled. (not fun) Took me 6 years to get disability also took a few lawyers to help me out with that. They were not free.

 But anyway, Guitar making has provided me with a way to still use my hands and mind. On my own time.

   The one thing or problem I have had is letting go of deadlines. I still today struggle with deadlines. I really don't have any, but when I start a project, I self impose a deadline. In other words, I feel like I have to get something done ASAP.  

  Most of that I know comes from a working environment of where I had to meet a daily deadline.

  But now because of the daily work world I have this thing in me that says I have to get this done, and I need to get it done now.

 Today I got up thinking I need to get the P90 build done now. But really, I don't have to get it done until around Dec. That build does not need to be done until then because it will be a birthday present for the guys' son in Jan.

 Now, I do have other projects I am getting ready to start on. Some are for the house. Like shelving units. I also have some other guitars that I would like to get back to.

 So here I go again with my self-imposed deadlines. LOL!

 So, retirement is not all that easy for me. The nice thing about being retired is that I don't have to clock in to a job that I get yelled at if I don't meet a deadline. HA!

 I don't have a job, I no longer run a business of any kind. All I have to do is make guitars, take care of the farm, see to it, I do what the doctors tell me to do and make sure the wife is happy. Then why do I keep on putting up with my deadlines? LOL!

 So, I guess I am wondering about you all. I know some of are not retired and cannot probably not relate to what I am saying. But in it all, at times I wonder why I, or we put ourselves through stuff we don't have to?

 EB

[dnic]

Funny you should bring this up. I cut my work hours to 4 days a week starting in May. This just happens to be my 67th birthday today. I may very likely retire from the store in Sept. which will finish my 11th year there. The 11th year of my 10 year plan. I think I missed my deadline. I worked construction before the store. I have a very well ingrained work ethic which makes it quite impossible to ignore things that need to be completed. "real work", "side work" and even "hobby work". I'm sure the handful of people that will read this all suffer from the same illness. It's called ownership. And we have taken responsibility for our lives and our loved ones because it's part of our identity.

[antares]

Hmm- retirement? Well I had it forced onto me at age 60 when The Company closed after the new Chinese owners closed us down. As you can imagine, I am not a great fan of The Chinese. I remember when they took over and stood shoulder to shoulder- about eight of them while the fabulous New Venture was sold to us. If the guys on the shop floor had known what those individuals had in store for them, they'd have hurled hammers and dollies at the little men. See how polite I am! Having watched commitment being unrewarded while tongue warriors marched past me on both flanks, I was about done with touching what was left of my forelock for those whom I somewhat arrogantly regarded as idiots, so since Best Beloved had run down her working hours after a genuinely severe health issue, I had already decided to shut up shop at 62. The amount I received in an employment termination pay-off virtually covered those two interim years, so in retrospect I really fell on my feet. I start to draw State Pension in July, and at that stage I can genuinely consider myself retired as opposed to unwaged.

Some of you may know that I make bits and pieces for my radio hobby. Making things is something that I have no need to explain or justify to you guys- it's in the blood, and you are lucky if you can recognise the affliction at an early age! I've just finished building a "Stockton" RF bridge / power meter. Towards the end of last year, I completed a two year project of a so-called magnetic loop antenna. I started both of those projects in the 1980s, but life (and work) got in the way. I have been crossing off a fair number of half finished projects over the last few years. I have one major project to complete- a multi band SSB / CW shortwave transceiver- again started back in the 1980s. That was almost complete anyway, it just needed the low pass filters and a transmit / receive switching arrangement together with the RF power output module completed. It's near the top of my list right now!

Leaving the foregoing to one side, in all honesty I've been surfing the days, weeks and months for nearly six years and I have to admit that I have not made best use of them, but you know- life is pretty good all the while I keep counting my blessings and there are many, not the least this particular oasis of calm on t'interweb. I seriously cannot comprehend how you achieve so much with your time Dane. Your wind down is thoroughly deserved. Respect! Many happy returns Bud.

でつ e&oe ...

[Deleted]

Well happy birthday Dane! Hope you had a blessed day.

 EB

[dnic]

Steve, I think you were very polite in your explanation of how your career was uprooted. As for your electronics/ voodoo hobby I'm still almost completely in the dark. I'm pretty good at seeing how mechanical things interact and therefore figuring out what makes something tick. But electrons and watts and things invisible I'm not so good at. I do have basic household wiring down but I don't why it works it just works. Same with guitar wiring.

And it's good you're finishing up old projects. I don't know how you keep it straight foe that many years.

Thanks Steve I do feel like It's well deserved to slow down a bit and have more time for the things I really like to do. Thanks for being a good friend over the internet. Here and YT. I appreciate you a lot.

[dnic]

accentually posted twice, so deleted

[dnic]

May 2, 2023 13:51:16 GMT -6 @eagleblues said:

Well happy birthday Dane! Hope you had a blessed day.

 EB

Thanks Eddie, appreciate you brother.