Early retirement after decades of doing what I loved

We get too soon old and too late smart.
A loose translation of a saying my grandmother used to tell us.

Quote: billryan

We get too soon old and too late smart.
A loose translation of a saying my grandmother used to tell us.
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This is mostly wishful thinking. Most people I know who are fairly dumb when they were young are now old and they're still dumb. Getting smart does not come with age, you're born with it or you're not. People like to think just because somebody is old that they're wise and smart when that's hardly the case.

Quote: billryan

We get too soon old and too late smart.
A loose translation of a saying my grandmother used to tell us.
link to original post

This reminds me of the saying, “Youth is wasted on the young.” In my twenties, I’d give my favorite response, “Wisdom is wasted on the aged!”

Now that I’m in my fifties, I feel differently. I may not have the energy or vigor that I did then, and recovering from certain activities may take longer, but I don’t need to be young to feel youthful. Also, while some folks are better at this than others, there is something to be said for learning from one’s mistakes (bonus if you can learn from others’). While this can start at any age, it can also stop, usually due to hubris rather than stupidity…

Another saying I like is, “I know enough to know that I don’t know squat.” This applies at any age…

Quote: camapl

I don’t need to be young to feel youthful.

I love that.

I know I still feel youthful most of the time.

Quote: AxelWolf

Quote: camapl

I don’t need to be young to feel youthful.

I love that.

I know I still feel youthful most of the time.
link to original post

I feel youthful when I’m on the golf course.
I feel youthful when playing basketball.
I feel youthful when I ‘look’ at my wife.

I feel old when I look at all the pills I take.
I feel old when I realize I have a kid sister who just turned 60.

In general, I think youthful still beats out old.

Quote: SOOPOO

Quote: AxelWolf

Quote: camapl

I don’t need to be young to feel youthful.

I love that.

I know I still feel youthful most of the time.
link to original post

I feel youthful when I’m on the golf course.
I feel youthful when playing basketball.
I feel youthful when I ‘look’ at my wife.

I feel old when I look at all the pills I take.
I feel old when I realize I have a kid sister who just turned 60.

In general, I think youthful still beats out old.
link to original post

Mentally I feel young and spry, physically I am an old man.

Quote: SOOPOO

Quote: AxelWolf

Quote: camapl

I don’t need to be young to feel youthful.

I love that.

I know I still feel youthful most of the time.
link to original post

I feel youthful when I’m on the golf course.
I feel youthful when playing basketball.
I feel youthful when I ‘look’ at my wife.

I feel old when I look at all the pills I take.
I feel old when I realize I have a kid sister who just turned 60.

In general, I think youthful still beats out old.
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I don't take any pills other than some Advil occasionally. I did need some muscle relaxers for an injured shoulder a few months back. Other than that It's been many years since have needed any prescription.

Quote: DRich

Quote: SOOPOO

Quote: AxelWolf

Quote: camapl

I don’t need to be young to feel youthful.

I love that.

I know I still feel youthful most of the time.
link to original post

I feel youthful when I’m on the golf course.
I feel youthful when playing basketball.
I feel youthful when I ‘look’ at my wife.

I feel old when I look at all the pills I take.
I feel old when I realize I have a kid sister who just turned 60.

In general, I think youthful still beats out old.
link to original post

Mentally I feel young and spry, physically I am an old man.
link to original post

I can still jam around really well, but I assume I am more than 10 years younger than you.
I do not know exactly how old The Wizard is, but he is older than me and he is a beast and in really good shape.

Congratulations!

I had a bit of trouble wrapping my mind around AP retirement, in the sense of not just giving the practice up, but in the sense of AP being your real job, one someone retires at like any other.

I guess it shows that much of AP is hard work and sometimes even drudgery

Quote: odiousgambit

Congratulations!

I had a bit of trouble wrapping my mind around AP retirement, in the sense of not just giving the practice up, but in the sense of AP being your real job, one someone retires at like any other.

I guess it shows that much of AP is hard work and sometimes even drudgery
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It's not about not enjoying the playing and beating the casinos, I will always love those aspects.

I don't think it's hard work or drudgery. For me, it's just the fact that I want to spend more time doing other things that I enjoy more. I have been doing this since the early 90's.

As I said previously, I will still do some online stuff, and if a good short-term promotion/big plays come along, I'll probably play it. I'll always have some type of involvement in Advantage Play. I just don't want to be committed to running around to casinos picking up free play, scouting, having to meet deadlines, etc. FYI I really dislike commuting to the casinos.

I lack the motivation and drive to be fully committed...that leads to procrastination...that leads to last-minute scrambling to get stuff done.

I also feel guilty when I'm not putting in 100% effort.

Congrats Axel. I am practically retired in mid Aug. One big thing is "I dont have to set alarm". Now, I wake up anytime I like. Also, congrats for Soopoo and Terapined. Coming to Vegas in 2 weeks again.

Quote: SOOPOO

Quote: AxelWolf

Quote: camapl

I don’t need to be young to feel youthful.

I love that.

I know I still feel youthful most of the time.
link to original post

I feel youthful when I’m on the golf course.
I feel youthful when playing basketball.
I feel youthful when I ‘look’ at my wife.

I feel old when I look at all the pills I take.
I feel old when I realize I have a kid sister who just turned 60.

In general, I think youthful still beats out old.
link to original post

I don't think I ever wanted to be younger. Often I wanted to be older. I know so much more now than I did in my 20s. Sometimes it drives me crazy. Some of it is practical, like knowing far more about basic home construction. Some of it is perception. Like when I pointed out to co-workers how they stopped saying they wanted to eventually move us from temp to permanent.

When I was young I believed so much of what the bosses told us. You live and see lie after lie there, then you get smart. I believed the general public was far smarter than it is. I did not understand how our banking system works and the house of cards it is.

All of that comes with age. Not school or anything formal. I have a new boss who is about the age I was when I got my first boss job. It is kind of fun seeing someone else experience what I did but knowing more about what is.

As to "feeling youthful" I never, ever do. I feel old often.