A retirement forum, please

Since a large percentage of we DG'ers are at, near or IN retirement, I would like to see a forum for such discussions - how about YOU?

Since I'm retired finally, for the second time, I'm not certain I'm willing to take on the responsibility of supporting such a forum. LOL Hey, it might work. Got any good travel ideas? In country, out of country. Wish you well.

I would be interested in participating in a retirement forum. I retired in 1993, not due to age, but to health issues. Thankfully, the stress that was associated with being employed has lessened and the result has been continually better health. I am very thankful for the better health but know that if I were to try and fool myself about possibly entering the job market again, it wouldn't be very long at all before I began feeling terrible again.

It took some adjustment from being employed full time and then finding myself at home at age 38 with a very limited income and no sense of "who am I?" Fifteen years later I have a good sense of who I am and what I enjoy but still on occasion find myself missing some of the positives that come along with being employed outside the home, such as adult conversation and socialization.

I'm in.

Ruby

I am not retired yet but I would be interested in the forum.

I'm somewhat in Ruby's situation. Disabled, now somewhat better but can only dream of going back to work full time. I love my partime job and my employers are part of my extended family.

I think a forum for retirees would be good. Don't know that I would frequent it often, but if my vote will help others get what they would like to have I'll cast a yes.

rubyw. I think you hit the nail on the head. Suddenly you are no longer the job you did for 30 years. Finding out "Who I am" can be a major hurdle in finessing retirement. Another is, you just don't need all the stuff you needed before. It is a major negotiation. I even found out what I thought was my favorite color is not my favorite color anymore!

And, that means everything in the old color goes into the donation box.

I think this forum would be a very good idea in so many ways.

There is so much important information that retirees need and this would be a great way to gather it all in 1 place.

Thanks for bringing this up Kay!

If you go to the Community list of forums, creating a new Retirement thread under "Family Mattters" might do the trick?
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/

The only problem I see is too many subjects for 1 thread under this category..

Maybe try it that way first and then if it becomes too much change it to its own forum?

Personal opinion here, but as retirees we no longer fit into the term family quite like we use too. Our lifestyle is so different, our needs, abilities, and interests are very different from younger folks with children in the home most if not all the time. We are empty nesters and many of us live alone. We may or may not even have family anymore. Some never did. We are just a different classification. JMHO

I agree, leaf. I'm not alone, but my gardening needs, among others, are far different than many younger gardeners. I just can't do the kinds of things I used to consider routine, and my outlook is a bit different. I'd love to have a retired gardeners forum. I'm not retired quite yet, but my time is mostly my own since I'm a realtor working for my own firm. During the down months in winter I have more time, but during the busy gardening months I'm busy working. But that said, my needs, abilities, and outlook are unique.

I'm in for the "Retirement Forum" idea. It would be fabulous!!! One of the great way to kick off the New Year!
Kim

I don't think it really matters where it actually goes but that there will be a separate forum. A single thread just won't do the trick. As with most everything on DG, there will be so much to learn from others.

This would be a great way to start off the new year.

I've put a link to this thread on another thread to try to get a little more interest.

Elsie;
To link this with other threads is great idea to get others attention and interests....
Kim

I vote FOR. DH retired Oct. 2006. We are still trying to adjust in a miriad of ways. Nothing, nothing is as we had envisioned or planned. Will say we enjoy each others company and have not had those "smoothering" instances.

Christi

Finances have not been what we planned.

Would prefer a closed forum.
This message was edited Jan 2, 2008 7:24 PM

This message was edited Jan 4, 2008 7:31 PM

Sounds like a great idea to me. I retired on December 31, 2006. I have many interests, although, a health problem cropped up and has pretty much consumed the first year. Developed an allergy to cat dander so severe I had to get rid of my four lovely house cats, and will be on oxygen until May. Therefore, bird watching has been filling in the hours for me. Hope it works out.

GG

Oh GG,so sorry to hear that health issues came up during the first year of your retirement. One good thing about it happening then is that you didnt have to miss a lot of work days doing all the medical things. To have to be on oxygen makes it sound very serious. I hope that things will turn around for you and that you have a much better year this year.

Ruby

Thanks for the good thoughts Ruby. I am looking forward to better things in 2008. Of course, one good result of this situation is that I became interested in bird watching.

GG

Yep, see I knew there were silver linings in the clouds.

Ruby

I think this is a great idea

I'd be interested in participating in a retirement thread. My DH retired unexpectedly
a few months ago. I'd like to hear others perspectives on all parts of retirement: preparations
and planning, the transition and then actual routine of retirement itself. Could be a
huge range of topics to discuss.

Tam

I'd be interested in a retirement forum. Just retired 12/21/07 and I'm sure many adjustments are coming. Should be some interesting threads...

Hello Dave and Admin. staffs. Are you 'listening'? We're waiting for your input. The forum should be great for our community of gardeners at DG.
Kim

I'd be interested in a retirement forum just to see how and what other folks are dealing with it. For myself, I was completely adjusted to retirement on my way to the car on the day I retired....WOW, what a feeling. Only other thing like it was the day I got out of the Army...couldn't quit grinning.

I have been a retired widow for many years, and would be interested in a forum for that interest. No family closeby. Health reasons have forced me to move slower and garden less, but I still try to do as much as I can. Sort of hibernate ???? in winter.

Donna

We're listening! (errrr, more technically, we're watching and reading ;o)

Quick question: would this forum be better as an open/public forum, or a closed/subscribers-only forum?

Thank you, Terry. An open/public forum initially to attract more members? After all, membership at DG's is the best investment I've done in the recent years. It took me over a year to discover the benifits and enjoyment derived from its membership. Others' input here please.
Kim

Yes, I think a retirement forum would be awesome. My DH wants to retire in two years. It would be nice to get a glimpse. But more than that. Our retired members probably have a ton of gardening info that they could share with us. Nothing better than experience.

Debbie

I vote for open/public. Thanks for tuning in!

Count me in too, Terry, and thanks for considering
opening one. I know hardly anyone down here , and
certainly nobody my age or older so it's hard to glean
tips and tricks or to find out what others have learned
by experience.

I vote for open! :-)

I'm thinking closed/open to subscribers only. If we get to discussing any personal info I'm not sure we would want it public. I'm really thinking this forum with become a wealth of information for a wide range of topics. I would like to hear about what surprises came up after retiring.

I wonder if I'm thinking about this forum differently than everyone else. I'm thinking about discussions about retirement - things that work and don't work - not necessarily about being retired and gardening. I've just got home from work - am I making any sense?

I thought that's what we were talking about, discussions about what works and doesn't work in retirement, or pre-retirement, not about gardening. We can do that on any of the forums.

Yes I was thinking things like Medicare,transportation, tax relief etc.

Current events and politics can't be discussed on any DG forum so tax relief and Medicare issues might be off limits?

I would prefer closed. What are the benefits of having an open forum?

Fantastic idea! I retired 12/2005 due to health issues. And yes, it took a while to "find myself." This site has helped a lot. "Listening" to others helped me determine my priorities, wants and needs. I can only imagine how many ways a retired forum would help. I vote definitely yes!

I don't mean opinions on those things, I meant facts on Medicare, Taxes etc. for retired folks.

There really wouldn't be any point to having a retirement forum if you can't tell facts about what is currently available to people.

I would like to know what Terry & Dave were thinking it would be about so we all knew what we were voting on. :-)

They are soooooo young. Hope there is SS and Med. when they need it.

I've been watching/reading this thread and I add my vote. I'd like to see issues and obstacles others have addressed as well as gardening tips for the less robust retired gardener. I'm neutral on the open/closed decision. I can see pros and cons to both.