Comments on: Do not go gentle into that good night http://jameswharris.wordpress.com/2008/04/13/do-not-go-gentle-into-that-good-night/ Things I want to remember - James Wallace Harris Thu, 22 May 2008 21:22:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: Elaine http://jameswharris.wordpress.com/2008/04/13/do-not-go-gentle-into-that-good-night/#comment-939 Elaine Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:08:49 +0000 http://jameswharris.wordpress.com/2008/04/13/do-not-go-gentle-into-that-good-night/#comment-939 Like you, I've been thinking about getting old. It doesn't seem to matter how much superannuation I have or what else I do, things are going to be volatile and I might not have enough to pay for the lifestyle I want. My daughter told me tonight I don't have to worry about it. The next house she buys will be a lowset brick that I can retire into. That way my houses can be rented out to give me an income and I can pay rent for hers. She's got it all worked out. Now we just have to find a house that's not too far away from her. At the moment we live two suburbs away from each other and it simply isn't close enough. She wants something within a 10 minute walk so she can drop in whenever she wants. On one hand I think she's sweet to be planning for my retirement just as fiercely as I am, but on the other hand I'm sad about it. I don't like the idea of becoming a burden for her. She's my only child so there's no one else to share the difficulties my old age will bring. I don't like that. It's not her job to look after me, although I know she will - and she'll be annoyed if I try to stop her. I'll just have to make sure I'm as prepared as I can be so the pressure on her is as little as it can be. She deserves to live her own life, not have my needs impact on everything she does. Like you, I’ve been thinking about getting old. It doesn’t seem to matter how much superannuation I have or what else I do, things are going to be volatile and I might not have enough to pay for the lifestyle I want.

My daughter told me tonight I don’t have to worry about it. The next house she buys will be a lowset brick that I can retire into. That way my houses can be rented out to give me an income and I can pay rent for hers. She’s got it all worked out. Now we just have to find a house that’s not too far away from her. At the moment we live two suburbs away from each other and it simply isn’t close enough. She wants something within a 10 minute walk so she can drop in whenever she wants.

On one hand I think she’s sweet to be planning for my retirement just as fiercely as I am, but on the other hand I’m sad about it. I don’t like the idea of becoming a burden for her. She’s my only child so there’s no one else to share the difficulties my old age will bring. I don’t like that. It’s not her job to look after me, although I know she will - and she’ll be annoyed if I try to stop her. I’ll just have to make sure I’m as prepared as I can be so the pressure on her is as little as it can be. She deserves to live her own life, not have my needs impact on everything she does.

]]> By: Ronni Bennett http://jameswharris.wordpress.com/2008/04/13/do-not-go-gentle-into-that-good-night/#comment-928 Ronni Bennett Sun, 13 Apr 2008 23:17:28 +0000 http://jameswharris.wordpress.com/2008/04/13/do-not-go-gentle-into-that-good-night/#comment-928 Oops. That's "thesis" in the next to last sentence, not "these". Oops. That’s “thesis” in the next to last sentence, not “these”.

]]> By: Ronni Bennett http://jameswharris.wordpress.com/2008/04/13/do-not-go-gentle-into-that-good-night/#comment-927 Ronni Bennett Sun, 13 Apr 2008 23:16:11 +0000 http://jameswharris.wordpress.com/2008/04/13/do-not-go-gentle-into-that-good-night/#comment-927 A year or two ago, we had several long discussions about blog friendships at Time Goes By (must be time to resurrect it) and the consensus was that blog friendships are as close, warm and important as our "real world" friendships. For my part, about half the people I hold most dear now, I've met in the blogosphere and I've met quite a few now in person. There is one I speak with on the phone three or four times a week. Others I speak with less frequently, but regularly. Some have come to stay with me for a few days or we've had dinner and spent a day together when they've come through town. Elderblogging offers (among other important good things) a chance to expand our social circles when, after retirement, there is less opportunity to meet new people, families may live thousands of miles away and old friends die. There's a PhD these waiting to be done on this phenomenon ;-) Thanks for all the nice things you say about Time Goes By... A year or two ago, we had several long discussions about blog friendships at Time Goes By (must be time to resurrect it) and the consensus was that blog friendships are as close, warm and important as our “real world” friendships.

For my part, about half the people I hold most dear now, I’ve met in the blogosphere and I’ve met quite a few now in person. There is one I speak with on the phone three or four times a week. Others I speak with less frequently, but regularly.

Some have come to stay with me for a few days or we’ve had dinner and spent a day together when they’ve come through town.

Elderblogging offers (among other important good things) a chance to expand our social circles when, after retirement, there is less opportunity to meet new people, families may live thousands of miles away and old friends die.

There’s a PhD these waiting to be done on this phenomenon ;-)

Thanks for all the nice things you say about Time Goes By…

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