‘I wonder what’s left to aspire to now that I’m retired’

I have always had a fascination for Africa and exploring, but I am more than one century too late. Sir Richard Burton has trodden the path to the White Nile, and Golconda is but a memory. Everest has a Starbucks and K2 is a franchise.

The depths of the ocean are so cluttered with sonic buoys and invisible submarines, and robots are on Mars. Where then does a 74-year-old man see himself in five or even 20 years? Cable TV is no answer, all the documentaries have [people with] beards or [those who] get the pension, so where is the real life that a retired man can aspire to?

Marathons are out as walking sticks are banned, and Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic is still a gleam in his eye. Inter-dimensional star travel is impossible because the people on Alpha-Centauri are greedy and refuse to share. The Mars colony is still an infant and out of reach. The moon is now owned by a consortium, so that’s out and Mercury is too hot, and I moved from Brisbane to a more liveable temperature here in ‘Paradise’.

I have travelled the world and Australia, appreciated different cultures, eaten foods I would like to forget and had more to drink than I can remember. My last travel undertaking will be to Adelaide to live among the hills enjoy the quiet life, laugh with the children, enjoy the animals and write –perhaps some wisdom or repartee the world can do without and remember the days when I lassoed the world and rode it to the future.

Where is the excitement? Jumping out of perfectly good planes? Done that, got the medal. Base jumping? No, I’ll leave that to the insane. Water skiing in the Himalayas? No, frostbite doesn’t go down well with the complexion.

Our future health is of concern, and we have taken precautions. Our living conditions have been made bulletproof – so our primary care is living the moment.

When I have to Skype some friends, will I use the PC, tablet or 4G phone? I have it, finally. Holograms, now how can we make use of this technology? Forget the television, I’ll travel the world, again, as an avatar using holographic technology while I adjust my recliner. ‘Oh Jude, how about a cup of tea please and turn on the Discovery channel, thank you?’

Do you think about the world around you like this? Do you worry about what’s left to achieve once you’ve retired?

Do you have a story to share with Starts at 60 or Travel at 60? Sign up as a contributor and submit your stories to here. If your story is published on our websites, you’ll go into the draw for some great weekly prizes. You can also join the Starts at 60 Bloggers Club on Facebook to talk to other writers in the Starts at 60 community and learn more about how to write for Starts at 60.