‘I decided to take my freedom and now I’m loving retirement’

As an ‘L-Plate retiree’ there’s that moment in the morning’s half-light where you’re half awake and half asleep, suddenly your brain switches on and you panic for a nanosecond. Then you chirpily realise that you are no longer driven by the clock and settle back with a self-satisfied smile.

It’s an absolute joy each and every morning to wake up and know I no longer run to anyone’s timetable but my own. I have nowhere to be and no one to see.

Finishing work the week before Christmas it felt like a long holiday until we got to February. Normally I would be working till the wee hours of the morning at that time of the year as I had done for two decades; dragging my sorry self out of bed in the morning to fake enthusiasm for that which generated my daily bread.

The nature of my small business was often equivalent to self-inflicted slavery. Instead I found myself under summer shade trees catching wafts of sunscreen, listening to people talk about fishing, swimming and travelling in a caravan. I didn’t quite belong and I needed to find my place in this unfamiliar world.

After 45 years of working, running a business, raising a family and two tumultuous years of upheaval following my husband’s serious illness and a legal battle; I was forced to assess our situation and came to the logical conclusion to take our freedom and abandon life as we knew it.

Having embraced that freedom with gusto I have enrolled in short courses, writing being my first love and photography my second. Writing for my own pleasure is something I have not touched since I was 17. This year I achieved a childhood ambition of having my written work performed to an audience by a professional actor, not once but three times.

My own posse of supporters of family and friends came to witness this moment. It was a pure delight and there’s nothing to stop me now. Writing has given me a voice and new experiences I could not have imagined two years ago. I’ve seen more movies, live theatre, music performances and enrolled in more short courses than I thought was humanly possible.

Retirement allowed me to visit the exotic Far East and climb The Great Wall, the South Pacific to swim with turtles and I’m about to embark on another interstate holiday to catch up with new friends I met while travelling. On a more sober note I am under my accountant’s advice to rein in the spending. Shhh I’ll let you in on a secret I just booked Canada, but technically it doesn’t count because it’s in next year’s expenditure.

I’m loving my life I’m getting to fulfil my dreams. I revel in the joy this new life brings me each day. What use is money if you don’t enjoy your life? This is not a dress rehearsal so just watch this space, I don’t plan to die wondering.

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