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jambutty · 27-12-2006, 22:25

When you retire katex you retire from the daily grind of earning a living and all that brings. Whilst working you was a slave to the clock. Time ruled your life but the day you retire you can throw off the shackles of time and become free. Free to pursue whatever you like subject to your financial status. You will still have to pay some heed to time – I mean there’s not much point in going to get your pension from the Post Office at three in the morning unless you intend to do it without their knowledge. But how would you do a runner on creaky bones? So there will be a few times when you will have to keep to other people’s time schedules. But in the main time will be your friend, your playmate and not your master. You will control time and not the other way around.

However, do not retire into doing nothing. You need to keep the grey matter active and watching TV won’t do that. Nor will going round the house dusting everything every few minutes. The old bones might creek a bit when you bend down or sit in a chair but what the heck you’re not a spring chicken anymore. Accept it and learn to live with the fact that you won’t be as agile as you used to be.

When I was forced to retire a dozen or more years ago I was fortunate in that the home computer in the form of the Spectrum and Amiga were all the rage. So I got an Amiga and also went to College to learn about computers. Whilst there I signed up for a Creative Writing course at “O” level standard and went on to gain an “A” level. Fired with enthusiasm I took “A” level Desk Top Publishing, brushed up on modern electronics (ex Navy Radio Electrician), did Maths “O” and “A” for the sheer hell of it and started a series of City and Guilds modules in computing and programming. Sadly a second heart attack put paid to my ‘school’ days but I had learned enough about computers to get my Amiga onto the Internet until it too showed it’s age and just couldn’t keep up with the new flashy Windows ME PC’s. So I got a PC.

I moderate the Golden Talk forum, come on here to have my say when I feel like I have something to say and do the same on the Jeremy Vine message board. I earn a bit more than a few bob on the Internet. Currently I have been converting all my records (78’s, 45’s, EP’s & LP’s) and tapes to digital format and that should keep me occupied for at least the next 12 months. In fact it could take longer because each track has to be cleaned up from all the hisses, crackles and clicks. My Audio Cleaning software will only do so much so I have to get in and get my hands dirty and do things manually so maybe it will take more than a year. But who cares, time means nothing to me.

Come late spring when the light gets better and brighter I intend to start a video diary to complement my digital photo album on a CD plus another pictorial CD of my dad’s army life during the First World War.

What I’m trying to explain is that your computer is a wonderful device and you can do so much with it. Write short stories or even a novel, or poetry if that’s your thing. I did. I wrote three books, two as a story for children and one as a record of some of the lesser known card and indoor games that I played. I didn’t do it to try and get them published but just to do it. One story helped to get me the Creative Writing “A” level and another helped to get me the Desk Top Publishing “A” level. Using my newly gained DTP skills I printed and bound all three books into real soft-back books. I knew nothing of book binding so I adapted the hard-back method for my own use.

So today I like my retirement.
I can do what I like when I like.
I get up when I have finished sleeping, no matter what the time.
I eat when I’m hungry.
I doze when I feel the need.
I go to bed when I’m tired.
I watch TV when there is something worth watching, which isn’t very often even though I have a couple of dozen channels to choose from. The computer and the Internet is much more interesting.

I hope that has given you some ideas on what is open to you should you want to take the plunge.
Can you read this secret message?
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

27-12-2006, 22:25	#3
jambutty Apprentice Geriatric Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Darwen, Lancashire Posts: 3,706 Liked: 0 times Rep Power: 89	Re: Topsy Turvey When you retire katex you retire from the daily grind of earning a living and all that brings. Whilst working you was a slave to the clock. Time ruled your life but the day you retire you can throw off the shackles of time and become free. Free to pursue whatever you like subject to your financial status. You will still have to pay some heed to time – I mean there’s not much point in going to get your pension from the Post Office at three in the morning unless you intend to do it without their knowledge. But how would you do a runner on creaky bones? So there will be a few times when you will have to keep to other people’s time schedules. But in the main time will be your friend, your playmate and not your master. You will control time and not the other way around. However, do not retire into doing nothing. You need to keep the grey matter active and watching TV won’t do that. Nor will going round the house dusting everything every few minutes. The old bones might creek a bit when you bend down or sit in a chair but what the heck you’re not a spring chicken anymore. Accept it and learn to live with the fact that you won’t be as agile as you used to be. When I was forced to retire a dozen or more years ago I was fortunate in that the home computer in the form of the Spectrum and Amiga were all the rage. So I got an Amiga and also went to College to learn about computers. Whilst there I signed up for a Creative Writing course at “O” level standard and went on to gain an “A” level. Fired with enthusiasm I took “A” level Desk Top Publishing, brushed up on modern electronics (ex Navy Radio Electrician), did Maths “O” and “A” for the sheer hell of it and started a series of City and Guilds modules in computing and programming. Sadly a second heart attack put paid to my ‘school’ days but I had learned enough about computers to get my Amiga onto the Internet until it too showed it’s age and just couldn’t keep up with the new flashy Windows ME PC’s. So I got a PC. I moderate the Golden Talk forum, come on here to have my say when I feel like I have something to say and do the same on the Jeremy Vine message board. I earn a bit more than a few bob on the Internet. Currently I have been converting all my records (78’s, 45’s, EP’s & LP’s) and tapes to digital format and that should keep me occupied for at least the next 12 months. In fact it could take longer because each track has to be cleaned up from all the hisses, crackles and clicks. My Audio Cleaning software will only do so much so I have to get in and get my hands dirty and do things manually so maybe it will take more than a year. But who cares, time means nothing to me. Come late spring when the light gets better and brighter I intend to start a video diary to complement my digital photo album on a CD plus another pictorial CD of my dad’s army life during the First World War. What I’m trying to explain is that your computer is a wonderful device and you can do so much with it. Write short stories or even a novel, or poetry if that’s your thing. I did. I wrote three books, two as a story for children and one as a record of some of the lesser known card and indoor games that I played. I didn’t do it to try and get them published but just to do it. One story helped to get me the Creative Writing “A” level and another helped to get me the Desk Top Publishing “A” level. Using my newly gained DTP skills I printed and bound all three books into real soft-back books. I knew nothing of book binding so I adapted the hard-back method for my own use. So today I like my retirement. I can do what I like when I like. I get up when I have finished sleeping, no matter what the time. I eat when I’m hungry. I doze when I feel the need. I go to bed when I’m tired. I watch TV when there is something worth watching, which isn’t very often even though I have a couple of dozen channels to choose from. The computer and the Internet is much more interesting. I hope that has given you some ideas on what is open to you should you want to take the plunge. Can you read this secret message? HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE __________________ Thanks for reading. If you have a few minutes to spare please visit my web site at http://popye.bravehost.com