Page 23 - January 2020
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Retirement and the Art                                                 money around so it could start paying us back for all those years invest-
                                                                                                                                                th
                                                                                  ing in our 401K’s. We bought a smaller retirement home, and a 5
                                                                                  wheel trailer with a big truck; to see the rest of the world we missed

              of Running Barefoot!                                                while we were working. We were also thinking in our spare time taking
                                                                                  in a cruise or three!

                            Pat Patterson VP                                         Just to complicate life I volunteered to be on the HOA board at The
                                                                                     Club at West Park. Now the fun has started! There are no sprinklers
                                                                                     to run through just other members who are willing to play a game of

          I must be dreaming, I can sleep in, have fun in the cold white snow or     Bocce Ball. I have got to stop right there and realize that I am work-
                                                                                     ing again, although this time for free! The problem is that all the oth-
          walk along the beach and listen to the waves crash. The difference of      er members around me think they need to keep working. They con-
          salt air at the ocean or clean crisp air in the mountains; catching a snow-  stantly ask if there is anything they could advise or council at running
          flake! Yes, I can it is a Wednesday morning and I am up early not be-      the HOA. What about the long trips to the beach or mountain snow
          cause my boss told me too! I woke up because I wanted too!                 adventures? There are some members that still do, cruises, hikes,
                                                                                     travel to Europe or Hawaii.
          When I was young, I woke early in the summer because I was free to go
          run in the cold sprinklers; build a tree fort, and not worry about paying   I thought that our journey ended, and our retirement destination be-
          bills. My hometown was Boul-                                                                                        gan! For me and a few oth-
          der City in Nevada and was                                                                                          ers, it seems that we will
          surrounded by desert; hot and                                                                                       not let our journey end.
          dry in the summer. I walked                                                                                         We want to keep moving
          out into the barren expanse to                                                                                      with our jobs as lawyers,
          run after snakes and try to                                                                                         civil engineers, graphic
          catch lizards; no water or sun-                                                                                     designers, managers, in-
          screen! I survived drinking out                                                                                     spectors, and find ways we
          of the neighbor’s water hose. I                                                                                     can serve.  As a board di-
          was free, very tan, and most of                                                                                     rector I am surrounded by
          the time barefoot!                                                                                                  others who also want to
                                                                                                                              keep working, consulting,
          The boss nudged me awake                                                                                            or directing others in
          and said, “You will never get                                                                                       knowledge they have mas-
          that report finished at this                                                                                        tered. I thought we hired
          rate!” No, I was not, but I                                                                                         people to do that like
          could dream about it and how                                                                                        cruise directors, travel
          I will someday retire and be                                                                                        agents, or KOA camp di-
          free once again! After many                                                                                         rectors! What happen to
          bosses, thousands of miles                                                                                          those dreams of my youth
          driven, and 200 presentations                                                                                       and my dreams after the
          later I made it.                                                                                                    kids moved out?
                                                                                                                              Lost in our new world of
          Oh, I forgot the three boys I                                                                                       retirement prison! Let’s
          raised, or I should say, we                                                                                         get involved, like making
          raised! I married first of course many years later we found ourselves      cookies; no rewriting documents, updating the rules, interviewing
          watching them walking their young wives to be, down the aisle. They all    committee members. Where is the enjoyment and happiness? Some-
          moved out and started their own adventures Ha, I bet they are thinking     where in-between relaxing and new beginnings. Lessons learned
          they could be running through those sprinklers! No, that was my dream      when we were all young and running through those cold sprinklers,
          they have their own, skipping school and water skiing at the lake!         and someone else paid the bills. I still want others to pay the bills and
                                                                                     I want to go on holiday! What is your dream? Maybe somewhere in
          For the last wrinkle there was that divorce! That was a big mess, no fun   the art of your destination and satisfaction of freedom!
          during that time. My recommendation is if you’re thinking of divorcing,
          think again. It was like going through hell and back. The only ones that   Retirement is to me: live simply, dream big, be grateful, give love,
          won were the attorneys.                                                    and laugh lots! It is a trip back to my old house in Boulder City and
                                                                                     across the street with the big park. In this park were those Sprinklers!
          All right back to retirement, now with my new wife we moved all our
                                                                                     Not a bad run on a hot summer day, barefoot of course.


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