How To Retire 6 Months Every Year
(Page 17 of 22)
May/June 1970
By Irv Thomas
On hobbies, anything is fair game as long as it's something you really want to do, but beware of one pitfall! Some hobbies, like rock collecting or pencil sketching, require a modest initial outlay and almost no sustaining expense. The first cost is almost all of it. Others, like photography or golf, are a perpetual drain on your funds. You never stop paying for them, and they eventually assume the status of an addiction in their own right. Try to avoid these whenever possible. As a general rule, the nature hobbies and the creative hobbies are the most reasonable, unless - as with some musical instruments - extensive personalized instruction is required.
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I hasten to add another word here: There is no requirement that your activities be either outside or people oriented. If you've always wanted to sit down and write poetry or paint still life, now is as good a time as you will ever find. Even just plain relaxed reading can be rewarding. Find your own mix, and watch carefully for the emotional signals that will tell you if you are leaning too hard in a particular direction. If anything seems to become a chore or a task you wish were over, drop it.
At least one night a week should be devoted to a really exhausting physical activity. This is not just for body conditioning. It also serves wonderfully as a general tension outlet. Gym activities like volleyball or basketball are excellent, and swimming is also good. Bowling or golf do not do it, and are a continuing major expense besides. I have always felt a sense of almost ecstatic relaxation after a couple of hours of volleyball and a shower. Awhile back, I tried something new and it was every bit as effective: soul-rock dance lessons.
THE SECURITY HANGUP
If you're thinking seriously about this plan - and for the sake of your own freedom I hope you are - there is probably one big nebulous question still lurking in your mind about . . . Security. The great American hangup: Job security, health security, old age security, the whole bit.
Before one can possibly consider breaking out of the system, one has to come to terms with these fears: What if I get sick . . . What if I can't get a job . . . What about old age . . . What about my career . . . What if two or even three disasters strike at once . . . What about a depression . . . What about my age . . . What about . . . There is literally no end to the fears, and they - not society - enforce our slavery.
I wish I could give you some magic prescription - some golden rule - that would banish all these fears. I can only tell you of my own approach, my own attempt to cope with them (for it is just an attempt), and my own view of the future as it applies to me. If you can draw strength from this, you are welcome to it, but I'm afraid that each man is largely on his own in this area.
To begin with, accept your fears. If you deny their existence, you cannot reason with them, and that is ultimately your best weapon. These apprehensions are a part of the fabric of our society, and you would be strange indeed if you did not possess them (more correctly, if they did not possess you.) They seem to increase with age, and it is my personal theory that they are a counter-balance for the competitive pressures of society.
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