One Year Of Fishing, And Then You Die

Otto von Bismarck looked at the typical German working man, and decided that Germans who worked hard all their life should be rewarded.  The reward would be retirement.  In 1889,  Germany became the first government to provide a pension so that a working man could spend his golden years relaxing and fishing.

Actually, it was to be one golden year of relaxing and fishing.  At the time, German life expectancy was 66 years.  So, Otto von Bismarck figured that Germans would work until they were 65, and retirement would give them one year of fishing before death.

Nowadays, people who stop working at 65 can look forward to many years of retirement.

I used to envision retirement as being immersed in free time.  

Free time would be abundant, and I could do all the projects I did not have time for when I was working: filing papers and organizing drawers and cleaning out cupboards.  

Free time would be unbounded, and I would be able to read lots of books and bake lots of cookies and travel to my heart’s content.

Two months ago, I retired.  Yes, free time is different now --- free time is elusive.

I wake up with a to-do list in my head, and at the end of the day, the list is about the same length as it was in the morning, in spite of my not having to drive 18 miles to an office, put in 8 hours at a desk, and drive 18 miles back home.

Is my to-do list too ambitious?  Is there too much on my plate?  Am I dawdling instead of being focused?  Are tasks expanding to fill the time allotted for their completion? 

Why is it hard to feel like I have accomplished much?

I am puzzled that retirement is not what I expected.  But I am not alone.  When I talk to other people who are retired, they have the same situation---their free time is elusive, it is not abundant and unbounded. They also have unfiled papers, disorganized drawers, messy cabinets, and buy their cookies at the supermarket. 

So, when people ask me “How is retirement going?” my answer depends on the person who is asking the question.  If that person is still working, I say that retirement is wonderful and I am enjoying my free time.  If that person is retired, I say that I am still adjusting to being retired.

But maybe I am living my retirement the wrong way.  Maybe what I should really do is heed Otto von Bismarck, and go out and buy a fishing pole.

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Here is a QuickHistory video about Otto von Bismarck.  
(2 minutes).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRcNoegrINk

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NOTE: Doug's best stories have been collected into a book: Puppy Out Of Breath.  Price = $11.  Send an email to ParadiseDouglas at gmail.com to find out how to purchase a copy by mail.