Maths are Hard

I’m not interested in creating a book that is read once and then placed on the shelf and forgotten.

American-Swiss author and illustrator, Richard Scarry, was born on this day in 1919 (died 1994).

I’m pretty sure we wore out more than one Richard Scarry book. Let’s just say that we spent a lot of time in Busytown.

Heh…what am I saying? I live in Busytown.

Some days, I’d like to to be less busy.

So I dream of my retirement and living on the beach, writing and wearing sweaters with patches on the

Available at By the Sea
(click the pic)

sleeves.

Okay, maybe not the sweaters.

I’ve amended that to doing theater as well. In fact if you want to fund a grant to open a dinner theatre by the shore, hit me up in the comments.

It’s true that I’m doing both writing and theater now. Although currently the emphasis is more on the theatrical world.

It’s all about the balance.

But, just think how much more I could do if I didn’t have that pesky day job.

Note to pesky day job employers: I still want to keep it.

For now.

My reality is that I’m hitting sixty next month…wow…that just sunk in.

In the best of worlds, I could retire in two years when I turn 62 and become eligible for Social Security.

In the more bester of worlds, Publisher’s Clearing House would show up at my door this afternoon and I could retire on Friday.

Alas, we have done the retirement maths, and they have made us sad.

Okay, not really. But, they have made us practical.

For reasons far too numerous to mention, not least amongst them that missed left turn in Alburqurque, the more practical retirement decision is to wait until I’m sixty-five.

Even then, Social Security tells me that I’m not at “full retirement age.”

Pfffft!

I’ll give them another five years. No way I’m in this for another seven.

Look, the reality is, I’ve dreamed of that early retirement date for some time now.

And, the reality also is that it’s not entirely impossible. It could just make those post-retirement years a little trickier.

I have no intention of stopping work.

I fully intend to write and work in theater as long as I am physically and mentally able.

And, I could totally go back to the amusement park. The door there remains open.

But a couple of weeks ago, I sat down for the first time and really looked at the numbers.

This is not bad news. This is practical news.

Part of being an adult, in this case a senior adult, is knowing how to make the best decisions.

The part that sucks is that it’s taken me almost sixty years to know how to make those best decisions.

My reality is that, while I’d like to cash in on the day job, I am at a point where it allows me to do the things I want to be doing like writing and theatre.

And, on Friday night, a couple of my supervisors even surprised me by coming to Opening Night.

It’s all good.

Not all of us can be independently wealthy. Not all of us can retire early.

But I realized in the grand scheme of things, I’m pretty blessed.

And, I realize that five years really isn’t that long.

Sure, that’s what I say now…

Still, I have to admit there’s a certain peace that’s come with figuring this all out. That’s not a bad thing.

And, if it turns out that it is, you know I’ll write about it.

For now, it’s back to Busytown.

 

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