Apparently when you ride with old dudes, the conversation of retirement comes up once in a while.
We discuss plans, dreams, travelling, etc.
It still seems a long way away for me, but inevitably with these conversations, someone tells me I’d be bored if I retired.
They say I’m so busy with work that I wouldn’t know what to fill my day with if work disappeared.
To be fair to these naysayers, I am busy, and at this time of year when the bike business is at its peak, it can get a bit crazy with my schedule.
This week, for example, is chalk-full of 12-hour work days and my goal of 100 km’s of riding is far fetched to say the least. I’m writing this on a late ferry trip to the mainland so I can try to squeeze three days of work into two days and make it back for a busy bike shop weekend and some family time.
So, I think to myself, what would I fill my days with if I had an extra 40-70 hours each week?
I can’t actually say what will happen, and since I’ll likely never be able to afford retirement, this is a scenario I may not have to figure out. But since I don’t want to look ignorant during my next old guy conversation, I’ve thought it through a little.
I don’t know if I’ll ever fully retire. It’s not because I fear boredom, it’s because I love what I do.
I have a developer friend who has retired three times now and always goes back to work. I’m sure he’s never been bored, he’s just passionate about what he does.
In a few years, maybe I’ll tone it down a bit and work less, so I can ride more and get a bit of rest, but I’m pretty sure I’ll never be too far away from my work. That’s the thing with passions, you just can’t get enough. Not a bad thing I guess …
I’m James Durand and I’m Goin’ Ridin’…