The New Retirementality, Fifth Edition

CHAPTER 5Boredom Isn't on Anyone's Bucket List

I met Fred when he was 80 years old; he looked and comported himself like a man 20 years his junior. At the time, he was running a nonprofit organization and working six- to eight-hour days. It was obvious in talking to him that retirement was an option he could choose any time he wanted—he just didn't want to. I asked what it was about retirement that failed to attract him.

Fred told me about turning 65 and how all his close friends moved en masse to Palm Springs—the “last stop,” he called it—to take up a life of retirement leisure. “They invited me out to sell me on the lifestyle, and so I went to see for myself. We sat down for cocktails before dinner, and each of them went around and told me about their golf match or tennis match, stroke by stroke. The next year they invited me out again and told me they were going to ‘close the deal’ with me. We sat down for cocktails somewhat earlier than last year, and they went around the table one by one and told me about their golf and tennis matches, stroke by stroke.” He paused and then said, “And that's when I knew it.”

Fred had me, and so I asked, “Knew what?”

“First, you're bored––then you're boring. I never want to be that boring.”

I laughed uproariously at his candor and incisiveness. I'd never heard anything like it, but I'll never forget how convincing he was as a relevant force at the age of 80. He instantly became one of my retirementors (I'll introduce more retirementors throughout ...