Is it time to retire?
By Bill Fox/Columnist
At only 49 years old, Justice Minister Peter MacKay joined a growing list of federal politicians who have recently retired. Before the rules change this fall, MacKay’s decision means he will be able to collect his full annual pension of $128,832 starting at age 55, instead of 65. Does this make you wish you could do the same?
As a public service, and as a guide to potential retirees, I have compiled a list of things you will want to be aware of as you approach the retirement years. Here, I’m referring to normal retirement years, not those of federal politicians! Be on the lookout for the following hints that it may be time for you to consider retirement!
-“I’ve forgotten” becomes more a part of your vocabulary. This could be about where you put something, or someone’s name, or …it will come to me…
-When you do get out of bed –which now seems to be more frequently – during the night, you are often limping.
-People in their 70s look more like you remember people in their 60s, and people in their 30s look more like teenagers.
-One of your best friends is your family doctor. In fact, all doctors are quickly becoming your best friends, except your colonoscopy doctor, who will get in touch with you soon…so to speak.
-When you complained to your doctor about certain pains in the past, he tried to correct them, but now he says, “Well at least you can feel them!”
-Your parents tell you that getting old is no fun. Do we have options here?
-It seems that suddenly a lot of people hug you when they greet you rather than the customary handshake. I guess they figure they’re safe or could it be they are afraid of losing you?
-In stores or on the bus, people ask you if you qualify for the seniors’ discount.
-You notice your hair is definitely thinning out, except in places you don’t want it, like in your ears, etc.
-A higher toilet suddenly looks more appealing.
-Instead of going to bed at a reasonable hour, you find yourself awakening in the middle of the night with the TV still on.
-You have all these wrinkles that seem to have suddenly appeared.
-One of your new hobbies seems to be spending more time at the drug store, especially looking at skin creams and moisturizers.
-When you ask your friends how they are, their response is a five-minute medical report from recent physicals.
-You brag about the fact you may have attended the first Beatles (or some other famous group) concert in Toronto, and co-workers don’t seem to know what you are talking about.
-You remember attending the Maple Leaf Stanley Cup parades – enough said!
-Seems to you that the Oshawa Generals are just young kids and you notice with little sympathy how those Kelowna Rockets are crying almost uncontrollably.
-Now when you get into a room, you wonder why you came into that room. You have to leave the room to remember what it was you were going to get out of that room in the first place.
-One of your favourite phrases is “If only…” If only we did not move, if only we invested more, if only I got a better education, pension, etc.
-You now seem more interested in God, spirituality and religion.
-You may be realizing that there are a lot of places you wished you had travelled to and you may realize you may not get the chance to get to some of them.
-You have had to phone your cell phone number to find out where you left it.
-Before, you wished you could hear what people were saying about you. But now, you cannot hear as well and you really don’t care any more, thank goodness!
If I have forgotten any hints, you can contact me at bdeefox@hotmail.com, I think, or is it…