Saturday 3 October 2009

retirement at 45.......




I had a dream last night. It was nothing exotic, erotic or dreadful, but a very simple, nevertheless a very satisfying one. In the dream I am visiting a temple with wife and parents. From the look of the entrance it resembled Guruvayur temple, and I am waiting in a long queue, followed by my wife and then behind her my parents. I am wearing a white dhoti, my wife is in a white traditional Kerala saree and my parents similar to our attire.

I am waiting and it looks like a long queue, but I have all the time in the world and I am very relaxed and happy .I observe the passage of life and time around me and I find people with increased devotion and a very unlike calmness on their faces. There are elephants, chained to thick carved rock pillars, feeding on bananas offered by pilgrims, recorded bhajans and smell of camphor and agarbattis. There is tranquility and stillness everywhere and no one is in hurry, everyone is devoid of their greed, hassle, anxiety. It so appeared.

Now, getting up this morning the amiability of the dream has had its effect and since morning and being a holiday today, I have done nothing but to sit and wonder about life back home in India. I am feeling very calm and peaceful.
I have a strong urge to go back and live close to my family and relatives and live my dream; my dream of a lazy retired life, enjoying every moment indulging in many of life’s offerings. As always worldly attachments and harsh realities come as villain and I am forced to stay back. As an afterthought I have ended up pondering over my life and its very meaninglessness. What am I doing? Am I doing what I wish to do, am I happy. Is this life? Etc, etc…..
I know those are rather clichéd inquiries, but then there is no escape and as it appears no satisfying answers.

As an answer, retiring early seems to be an option. But what age do I retire?45 looks like a suitable age, not too old to have fun and not too young to do what would appear a ‘wastage of my capacity and energy’.

I may come across  a lazy and slipshod person; that’s the danger expressing inner feelings, but the truth is that’s what I want. I dread competition, the rat race, meetings and interviews, or for that matter anything where I am answerable. I just want to be free, yes, just free: “I want to break free”, that’s my favorite track of Queen’s.

After 45 and without trying to sound like a procrastinated proclamation, I would lead a retired life and sit in the veranda of my house, facing lush greenery typical of my hometown. I would getup in the morning at may be 6( I know it’s a bit too early but I love the break of dawn and its tranquility) and go for long walks. I would occasionally visit Shiva temple. After that a shower and then I would have a healthy wife-made breakfast, settle with my books or the morning news paper for a leisurely uncalculated period of time. I would have by then old( if 45 is old) friends visit me and we would chat over tea and then, I may go out with them and hang-out at our favorite coffee-shop or library.

I would come home for lunch and then afternoon nap, followed by evening visit to temple. I would sit for bhajan and take part in temple activities, collect Prashad for my wife. Evening would be time for some news on TV and then dinner followed by early crash out to getup early the next day.
Huuuhhhh that was a long day….but that would sound something like my typical retired life….and I would have choices to make. I would take time to have a yearly vacation and would visit different countries like Peru, China, Mongolia, Chile, Argentina, Russia, Africa etc… take photographs and post it on Facebook for my family and friends to feel envious(Pun intended).

I would have nothing to worry about and live life as per my rules and guidelines.

It may sound a bit dreamy and preachy but I can name people who are examples and are happy that way.

Unless some changes come my way in the form of ‘destiny’, I would follow this dream and stick to it to the word‘t’.

I am feeling like someone just motivated and that’s going to help me pull my life for some time, till I have the effects of the rat race change my thinking. Until then its retirement at 45.



32 comments:

The Unsure Ascetic said...

Hey buddy,
Good to see you after the hiatus!

Nice write up on your dream life! I share very similar dreams.

The Unsure Ascetic said...

May be we must meet up post retirment.

ZB said...

Thanks Dude....yea. we should meet....right now retirement is my biggest motivational factor....Nice to know that you too have similar dreams.....Early retirement is the latest mantra....i know a lot of people, including my bro-in-law who wants to write gasals and poetry after 45.....:)

Mustaf said...

The only thought other than visualizing myself in the same position coming to my mind as i was reading this is that I shd earn enough money before I retire to sustain all my needs till I live and there I am blank, would be I able do that? I know it is sounding very odd talking about such mundane, earthy matters after reading such a dreamy post, but that is being practical.On the other side, that should give me enough motivation to work much harder today so that I can log off @45 :)

ZB said...

@Mustaf:Thanks buddy...far from Mundane, you have raised a very practical and profoundly meaningful question. Sustainability is the key, and i have set targets in that front. One million US DOllars, that should be enough, add to inflation etc....Thanks for reading..:)

P said...

All in good time my friend!
I bet you wouldn't want to FF to retirement and miss your daughter's growing up years!

le embrouille blogueur said...

45 sounds like a plan buddy ... keep up the spirit....!!

HaRy!! said...

45 hmmm now when did i think i'd retire!! or at least yu gave me a gooood idea!..thnkq...wat happened to yur nice template!!

BK Chowla, said...

Sorry to crack your dream.You are lucky that you are working and busy.Retirement with doing nothing is a waste of precious time.

Dhanya said...

My dad retired at 62 :D Such a workaholic he is. So I get really amazed when people say they wanna retire at 45! :)

sujata sengupta said...

i think its a case of the other end of the river appearing more green, I have sucgh illusions as well, wont deny, but then at times, i think when there we will end up craving for the life we left behind...its a viscious thing

Neha said...

well ZB, I wanna work, work and work...I enjoy tht...weird na, but pata nai, I can't sit idle...but yeah my own business only n not under anybody...cool post..:)

ZB said...

@ LEB and hary: Yea buddy, you have understood my plan. Thanks. :)

@P: No, definitely not. Retirement doesnt mean i dont enjoy life now. :)

@Neha, Sujata, Dhanya, Mr.Chowla, : My definition of retirement is different to what you have understood. My Father retired at 60, but he lives as a pensioner now. But for me retirement is from my current job...In life one should always opt for something he/she loves to do. I dont love to be in a rat race....I love to travel, i love to be a chef, i love to be a travel documentary-maker, i would love to be a restaurateur, I would love to do a course in Anthropology.......and sad part is with my current job i am not in a position to do so......I would like live a life as per my guidelines...thats what is retirement for me...

@Dhanya: Your fathers retirement is different from mine.....Does your father want to become a travel documentary filmmaker? No, right.....but i want to be one...hence this plan.Hope you get it.....I cannot be 60 and do all that i wanted in life...can i?

ZB said...

@Neha: Its great to know that you enjoy what you do. Keep working.....But the moment you think that you have to do something else in life than to just go office in the morning and do paperwork or excel-sheets, then i would suggest you make a plan like this. But keep you priorities right.....Thanks :)

Swatantra said...

Hi,

It is a good idea to retire at 45, but it depends i think if i have enough money for Siddharth and to fulfill the basic needs of life.. i will surely do..

How's your wife and daughter.. have they joined you..

Nona said...

ZB, It is a very good idea. Actually, if you are in a job that is draining you out, it would be a good idea to retire at 45. :)

Good luck and hop you succeed.

Aparna said...

I hope you are finally back.
If you do not enjoy your current job, it is a wise idea to get out while you are still young. Sometimes worrying about money stops us from doing what we would like to do. My dad worked till he was 70, that is because he loved what he was doing. He was an architect and designing buildings thrilled him. Touring the world seems like a great idea. May be you would like to open up a eating joint in Goa, that seems like a fun job.

ZB said...

@Swatantra: Thanks buddy. My family would return with me....i am flying tomorow....just a week in Kerala.

@Nona: Thanks.:)

@Aparna: Not that i dont enjoy what i do right now...marketing is very interesting indeed...but i have other things to do before i go to grave....and i dont want to do just work and earn all my life.....Thanks, and nice to know i was missed.....i am fly home tomorow, so a week off from blogging, but would peep in occasionally into all blogs.....Blogging makes life really interesting and worth living....TC:))

Kavita Saharia said...

ZB...good thing that you are flying home .Its a positive sign to know what you want from your life...may be this is the baby step towards achieving your dream.Good luck.

Anonymous said...

Hey,
Great Idea.Good to have dreams and make steps to follow them. All the best.

Going home today? Have a great time. Come back to this home and enjoy your princess's childhood. But don't forget to blog!!!

anjugandhi said...

read yur psot after a long time.
retire?????
why so????
one can enjoy life and make all dreams come true without retiring from active life.
pl dont think about it
neither from active life nor from blogging ( if you ever dream about it too)

Smita said...

Every now & then we all go through this phase when there are question all around us and no answer!!! But thats life :)

And I wish that you are able to turn ur dream into a reality!!!

Jo said...

"I would have nothing to worry about and live life as per my rules and guidelines." The should be the goal of every living, human being on this earth. We only get one "kick at the cat" as it were, and we should spend as much time as we can enjoying life. Too few people are able to do that. We are busy just existing, and working to exist.

I think you have a wonderful dream...!

Santanu Sinha Chaudhuri said...

I more or less live the life that you are dreaming now, minus trips to Argentina, Mongolia, etc. As I tell my friends, thanks to my early retirement, I have more of everything like time, leisure, reading, writing, peace, and happiness. And I have less of only one thing. You know what it is!

I wish you all the best. Do live the way you want to.

Rashmi said...

My thoughts too :)
Loved this piece immensely.
Cheers!

Ire said...

Sigh I aim to retire at 35...

Deeya said...

Hey that was really beautiful.

The Holy Lama said...

Dreaming ahead is mankind's blessing. Planning so many options post retirement will bring confusion and lethargy. And be ready for the question post retirement,' How do while away the time?'(Samayam poovan enthu cheyyunnu?)

Onkar said...

All our life, we keep chasing dreams, but fulfilment always eludes us. I wish, you are able to lead a retired life the way you have planned.

R. Ramesh said...

i wish i die working..at my pace...nice to c u back buddy...

rahul s said...

he he...nice theme..work hard now..make a huge amount of money..retire ..sit at home in homeland..start a stationay shop or some small business..njoy life..Most of the NRI's especially those who are gulf dream the same..I know some people.

Chicky said...

Waah waah!Some clarity... so rare to find in guys these days! :p

Btw, u'll retire from blogging too kya at 45? I wud hv expected u'll take to blogging almost full-time after retirement!