Picture this: I’m standing halfway between a Pina Colada on the beach and trying to explain to a client why I don’t want to write about their kitchen sponge, and it’s like my GPS has decided to take a coffee break. At just 2 months from 70, I’m caught in a midlife crisis, or is it a late-life crisis? Whatever it is, it’s definitely a crisis.
On one hand, there’s the sweet siren call of retirement, waving at me with visions of afternoon naps, playing bingo with the neighborhood gang, and maybe even mastering the art of lawn bowling. Sounds like a riveting sequel to a bestseller, right? Wait, now on getting scared. BINGO? LAWN BOWLING?
Thankfully, there’s this relentless urge to keep turning on my computer, skyping with Rachel while working on our collaborative projects, etc. It’s truly the passion that refuses to throw in the towel, and honestly, it’s more persistent than a dog trying to get your attention while you’re on a Zoom call.
So here I am, torn between the dream of being a woman of leisure and the reality of being a workaholic with gray hair and a backache from sitting all day. Retirement fatigue meets the undying spark of “I’ve got stuff to do!”
The Exhaustion Chronicles
I’m not going to lie, I’m tired. It’s like my body is a grand masterpiece of creaks and pops, a symphony of joints playing a . I can almost hear my knees singing, “Should I stay or should I go now?”
The idea of leisure, though, feels like a warm, fuzzy blanket inviting me to the ultimate Netflix marathon. Picture this: me, lounging on a recliner, remote in hand, conquering the art of “One More Episode Won’t Hurt” while polishing off a bottle of Pinot Noir.
But wait, there’s more! The exhaustion doesn’t just come from all of the travelings that I’ve done (okay, so I went hang gliding and did loop de loops in an open cockpit biplane a few years ago) but from a lifetime of campaign deadlines, wrestling with the Instagram editor (good lord, I look like I’m half dead in those photos before I fix them), and trying to make sense of blogging contracts (you want to use my photo in perpetuity for FREE?). Retirement is looking more like a walk down the Champs Elysee (just plugging my favorite city here).
The Workaholic Standoff
Now, on the flip side, I still seem to have that tenacious spark of inspiration. It’s the stubborn flame that refuses to be extinguished, like that one birthday candle that just won’t blow out no matter how hard you try.
The prospect of retiring without fully unleashing my creative Kraken is like serving a gourmet meal to a toddler – it just doesn’t sit right. Unfinished projects, untapped potential, and a to-do list longer than a CVS receipt are all giving me side-eye, daring me to ignore them. Have you seen my notebook of posts that I still want to write?
So here I am, caught somewhere in between hauling my behind around the country in an RV exploring and writing the next great post or viral TikTok. It’s like trying to decide between cake and ice cream – why not both? Can I have my cake, eat it too, and maybe even start a bakery in my spare time?
Age Is Just a Number, Right?
Maybe the secret sauce is finding a balance, a sweet spot where retirement and work join forces. Maybe there’s a whole new outlet for me to explore that combines the best of both worlds.
I’m thinking that it can be the opening act for a new chapter of exploration, passion projects, and discovering that I’m surprisingly good at karaoke (cough, cough…no, never).
So here’s to being almost 70, embracing the confusion, laughing in the face of societal expectations, and proving that age is just a number – a number that comes with a whole lot of potential and fulfillment!
