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Blogs > spiritwoman45 > Life in the Canyon


spiritwoman45
22314 posts
5/29/2016 11:03 am
How Did It Turn Out?


I am helping my new residents move in this weekend. They are a senior couple around 80, a bit different from the others in that their main issues are being old and having lost everything materially. At their age this is a huge blow. Yesterday the husband was asking me about my RV on the back lot. I explained that my husband and I both loved being foot loose and fancy free and planned to live in it and travel around in our retirement. That never happened. My husband never got to retire and my current life and situation is nothing like I hoped and thought it would be. (I say hoped because I was never one for definite plans). I made some sort of joke about instead of being on the road I was there cleaning furniture.

Their lived didn’t turn out anything like they planned either. They owned and ran 2 successful businesses. Eventually both businesses failed as the husband did not keep up with changing business practices, had employees stealing from him and as I heard from others had a gambling habit. About a year and a half ago they lost their home of 40 years as well because they had heavily financed it to pay for business losses. There are a couple of versions of their story but they end the same. Here they are at 80 having to move and adjust to a shared living situation with only social security for income.

Sounds like a couple of real depressing stories but the positive thing is that both they and I are at peace with our lives. We also discussed how we can accomplish things together that we could not alone. I am happy to have older stable residents who will act as a stabilizing influence on the 2 younger ones and they are happy to be in a house with a yard instead of a studio apartment with no yard and only the sliding glass door for light.

Thinking about this as I drove back out here to the canyon yesterday I wondered if, at our stage in life, anyone’s situation is anything like they thought they would be. I am thankful for the things I do have such as financial security, family and adequate health but can’t help thinking of how it would be if the “plans” and worked out. Would I be more or less satisfied? Would I appreciate what I have or take it for granted? Maybe somewhere in a parallel universe…………..

Spiritwoman ^i^
kneedtwoplease 68M
1189 posts
5/29/2016 11:27 am

 I used to enjoy the Radio Rabbi muse "things are as good as they are going to be, but could be worse" or something like that. As for the RV thing, you could join me living vicariously with 'technomida.com' or gonewiththewynns.com'


BarbraCD 76M
9 posts
5/29/2016 1:02 pm

 Oh, the dreams and hopes and thoughts over the years of how my retirement would be.....only to be dashed on the rocks time and time again through 3 money-sucking marriages. How did it really end? I've been retired 3 years the end of June and I've moved to a double-wide mobile home in PA. Was this in my dreams and hopes??? No. But I'm okay with it because I know it could have been worse........I could have had a 4th wife!


MrsJoe 76F
17383 posts
5/30/2016 6:53 am

 Honestly, I never gave the future much thought. I was busy trying to survive the present. When I did occasionally think of it, it wasn't with much positive thoughts because I worked in a profession that took care of the elderly. One day a doctor told me that most people did not end up in a facility, but lived their lives out at home.
That was encouraging, but I didn't give much thought to those years between working and elderly, I just figured I would work until I absolutely could work no longer, as I had seen a few others do.
When my husband died, leaving me a mountain of debt, life turned topsy turvy in many ways, but I got it righted and kept right on trucking, because that is what I do.
My life today is nothing like I ever thought it would be, but for the better, not the worse.
Be a prism, spreading God's light and love, not a mirror reflecting the world's hatred.


spiritwoman45

5/30/2016 9:39 am
    Quoting kneedtwoplease:
    I used to enjoy the Radio Rabbi muse "things are as good as they are going to be, but could be worse" or something like that. As for the RV thing, you could join me living vicariously with 'technomida.com' or gonewiththewynns.com'
Seem the older we get the more we live vicariously. Sometime I actually get inspired to do some of the things I see but then remember that while I could push myself it probably isn't a good idea.
Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

5/30/2016 9:42 am
    Quoting  :
They are amazing in the relationship area. Married over 50 years and get along sow well. It will be a difficult time for the remaining one when one passes.
Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

5/30/2016 9:45 am
    Quoting  :
That does sound wonderful. I often visit the local harbor and think about what living aboard might be like. Much like RVing I suppose. I mover thought about the river thing. That adds so many possibilities.
Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

5/30/2016 9:47 am
    Quoting BarbraCD:
    Oh, the dreams and hopes and thoughts over the years of how my retirement would be.....only to be dashed on the rocks time and time again through 3 money-sucking marriages. How did it really end? I've been retired 3 years the end of June and I've moved to a double-wide mobile home in PA. Was this in my dreams and hopes??? No. But I'm okay with it because I know it could have been worse........I could have had a 4th wife!
3 marriages - yikes!!!!!!! I practically had to be held at gun point to do it a second time.
Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

5/30/2016 9:49 am
    Quoting  :
Some of us got lucky weather we thought about or not.
Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

5/30/2016 9:50 am
    Quoting  :
No we can't.
Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

5/30/2016 9:56 am
    Quoting  :
Every one of us is in the same situation in the areas you mentioned. The financial world rules and controls everything no matter what the politicians tell us. I am more concerned about how my children and grandchildren would cope with a complete financial collapse than I am about my personal situation.
Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

5/30/2016 10:01 am
    Quoting MrsJoe:
    Honestly, I never gave the future much thought. I was busy trying to survive the present. When I did occasionally think of it, it wasn't with much positive thoughts because I worked in a profession that took care of the elderly. One day a doctor told me that most people did not end up in a facility, but lived their lives out at home.
    That was encouraging, but I didn't give much thought to those years between working and elderly, I just figured I would work until I absolutely could work no longer, as I had seen a few others do.
    When my husband died, leaving me a mountain of debt, life turned topsy turvy in many ways, but I got it righted and kept right on trucking, because that is what I do.
    My life today is nothing like I ever thought it would be, but for the better, not the worse.
Two things kept me going through the working years, the thought that there was an end to it eventually and like you the day to day needs. When my husband passed and I went through difficult emotional and financial times my mother and daughter were very needy and I was the main caregiver for my toddler granddaughter. Like you the daily demands kept me going one issue at a time.
Spiritwoman ^i^


Rentier1

6/2/2016 7:43 am

 My situation is far better than I anticipated.




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