Whenever I heard people say they were living on a "fixed income," I wasn't sure what exactly that meant. Having a "fixed income" sounded good to me. I had always worked in careers (or should I say, jobs) that paid less than minimum wage (relying on tips) or working on straight commission. A paycheck was kind of like a surprise snowstorm. I never knew how much was coming or how long it would last. In two months, I actually qualify to collect Social Security. Retirement? That would mean I would be living on a fixed income. But there will be no snowstorm. I know exactly how much I will get, and how long it will last. I have already started my "retirement budget" to see if my "fixed income" is do-able. This is not an experiment in terror. I am so excited to not have a job. No matter how much I liked the job I was doing, it was still a "job." I was playing politics and kissing someone's butt (metaphorically, of course). To do what I want, when I want seems like a dream come true.
"Oh, you will be so bored," well-meaning friends keep reminding me.
My answer is always, "how can I be bored doing what I want to do?"
I have lived with myself for over a half of a century. I am really not very ambitious anymore. Oh, I had big plans for my life when I was younger, but that was when I was invincible and could do everything. Life started getting in the way. And then my limitations started to come in to play. The "sure I can do it" attitude was always there, and my paved road was brimming with good intentions. But I knew at an early age that some of my dreams would never come true.
