What will you do in your old age?

Bullgrit said:

What will you do 20+ years in the future when you are retired and the children are moved out on their own?

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I won't even be 50 yet, so hopefully not retiring yet. I only work jobs that I enjoy, so I hope to still be working.

As for what I *will* be doing in old age... die. I'll die.

restaurants are nasty, cut-throat businesses. opening any business is hard, but any food service is probably harder than just about anything else. There's a reason they have such a high failure rate. And you have to be totally dedicated to your restaurant for it to have any chance of success.

My grandparents owned and operated 3 restaurants over the course of their lives (I'd work in one over a couple of summers in my youth). My dad joined the navy straight out of high school partly so as not have to work every morning and after school in the family restaurant (and away from his family altogether). My grandfather was a hard working, ingenuitive jack of all trades with a 3rd grade education, with my grandma doing the books (she had a high school education), so they did whatever they had to survive, with their limitations. I have no real love for the restaurant business either.

Honestly, threads like this make me wonder why people live in the USA. And I don't mean that as a political comment: it's purely a comment about how depressing the economic situation there really is except for a few.

Back on topic, I'm 46 and have been semi-retired for a while thanks to a dozen years or so years in Singapore with extremely low taxes and a surprisingly low cost-of-living if you know the place reasonably well. I'm in the Philippines now - well away from former US army bases and their red light districts with their associated high crime rates - which is where I expect I will "retire" because this is where my family is. But I will never "retire" unless some unforeseen health issue knocks me down and stops me from doing what I do now.

We're involved in several businesses and I also have a couple of international directorships so I don't go stir crazy from dealing only with the Philippines. (Seriously, I have done business with some of the most corrupt people and nations on this planet and that wasn't enough preparation for daily life here.) I hope and expect that to continue and, as my kids get older (I started late because I wanted to be a proper dad), I also plan to stop being semi-retired and go back to something closer to full-time. But there's no hurry.

Aside from business, I will keep trying to stay physically and mentally fit: I'm a keen cyclist and a fairly voracious reader. I also want to take up kayaking as we're surrounded by a small network of rivers. And, if I continue to still have people interested in playing, I also hope to keep running D&D for another three or more decades. My wife and I will probably also begin travelling again in a couple of years when our kids are a bit older so that's something else to look forward to.

But I think one of the most important things to be aware of once you're in your 30s, if not earlier, is your health. Fortunately, I stopped drinking when I was about 22 and I have never smoked. Add that to a regular exercise routine and avoiding soft drinks ("soda" and "pop" for you pseudo-English speakers) and I hope to stay healthy. (And, seriously, if you smoke and/or drink Coke and similar drinks, ask yourself this simple question: "Why am I committing suicide slowly?")

I'm actually looking forward to the years to come but I know that part of that is because we're relatively secure financially and I have never been one to splurge on expensive toys. But, again, health is key.

Scrivener of Doom said:

But I think one of the most important things to be aware of once you're in your 30s, if not earlier, is your health. Fortunately, I stopped drinking when I was about 22 and I have never smoked. Add that to a regular exercise routine and avoiding soft drinks ("soda" and "pop" for you pseudo-English speakers) and I hope to stay healthy. (And, seriously, if you smoke and/or drink Coke and similar drinks, ask yourself this simple question: "Why am I committing suicide slowly?")

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Well I use to smoke, but quit about 10 years ago, though I never drink soda, I prefer unsweetened ice and hot tea for 90% of my water consumption, though I drink juice as well. While being smart and eating healthy is good for most people, there are no promises of a longer lifespan. You're assuming you'll live longer based on your diet and habits, but I knew somebody that smoked and drank all their life and died at 96 years old, and someone else who was a vegan, exercising healthnut that had a heart attack and died at 45 (both were members of the same family), so what you choose to do for habits is no guarantee on health and long life.

gamerprinter said:

Well I use to smoke, but quit about 10 years ago, though I never drink soda, I prefer unsweetened ice and hot tea for 90% of my water consumption, though I drink juice as well. While being smart and eating healthy is good for most people, there are no promises of a longer lifespan. You're assuming you'll live longer based on your diet and habits, but I knew somebody that smoked and drank all their life and died at 96 years old, and someone else who was a vegan, exercising healthnut that had a heart attack and died at 45 (both were members of the same family), so what you choose to do for habits is no guarantee on health and long life.

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Absolutely, it really is no guarantee. But look at these two things:

1. I've watched smokers die. It takes 10-20 years but those sleepless nights while they sit up with a hacking cough as their body tries to get rid of the obstructions in their lungs take a horrible toll on not only their body, but their emotions or soul.
2. Heavy "soda" drinkers are often overweight (morbidly obese) and diabetic, neither of which contributes to quality of life.

So, yes, I accept your comment that it's no guarantee of a long life, but it is guarantee that you won't want do simply die everyday because your body has decided to get its revenge on your for a lifetime of bad habits.

I have stopped most soda drinking, stopped all smoking (woke from my coma with a trach tube from double pneumonia) but still have a vice or 2, such as chocolate.

gamerprinter said:

Well I use to smoke, but quit about 10 years ago, though I never drink soda, I prefer unsweetened ice and hot tea for 90% of my water consumption, though I drink juice as well. While being smart and eating healthy is good for most people, there are no promises of a longer lifespan. You're assuming you'll live longer based on your diet and habits, but I knew somebody that smoked and drank all their life and died at 96 years old, and someone else who was a vegan, exercising healthnut that had a heart attack and died at 45 (both were members of the same family), so what you choose to do for habits is no guarantee on health and long life.

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A horse that wins 90% of the time isn't a guaranteed win either, but it's the one I put my money on.

Scott DeWar said:

I have stopped most soda drinking, stopped all smoking (woke from my coma with a trach tube from double pneumonia) but still have a vice or 2, such as chocolate.

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I don't smoke. I drink less soda than I used to. The big help for me was switching to the little packets of "energy" drink mix - they've got some caffeine in them and no sugar, so I get the caffeine in the AM which is what I'm addicted to. I'm not behind a desk anymore and I eat less, so I lost about 20 lbs over the past year. I'd like to lose about 10 more; that'd put me at 170 lbs and 6' tall. My new job is very physical, so as long as I don't eat a lot extra I should be fine.

gamerprinter said:

You're assuming you'll live longer based on your diet and habits, but I knew somebody that smoked and drank all their life and died at 96 years old, and someone else who was a vegan, exercising healthnut that had a heart attack and died at 45 (both were members of the same family), so what you choose to do for habits is no guarantee on health and long life.

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Everybody has a random anecdote like that. Whatever you do, don't bet your life on an anecdote.

There are no guarantees in life. But odds are a real thing. Living healthy improves your odds.

You're gambling, whatever you do. Stacking the deck doesn't guarantee you'll win, but it improves your odds.

That said, unhealthy things are fun! Quality of life is as important as length of life. I quit smoking 5 years ago. I exercise most days, and always have. I do binge drink at the weekends, which is my main vice.