Bored in da House
Ahhhh….the sage old advice of “Be careful what you ask for, you might get it!”
There is a hit song by Hip Hop Artists Tyga and Curtis Roach called “Bored in the House”. The lyrics go something like this:
Okay, I’m bored in the house and I’m in the house bored (Bored)
Bored in the house and I’m in the house bored (Bored)
Bored than a motherfucker, in the house bored
And I’m bored than a motherfucker, in the house bored
Bored in the house, bored in the house, bored (Bored)
Bored in the house, bored in the house, bored (Bored)
I’m bored than a motherfucker, in the house bored
And I’m bored than a motherfucker, in the house bored
[Post-Chorus: Curtis Roach]
I’m bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored
I’m bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored,
I retired at the end of 2021 at the ripe young age of 58. Worked in a certain construction-trade industry for over 35 years and retired after 22 years with my last employer. There’s never been a time in my life that I wasn’t employed beginning with my time in the Marines at 18 years old! 41 years of non-stop work! I FELT like I finally deserved to hang it up, right? For the past 10 months, I have wondered if retiring early was akin to the curse of the Lottery. Do some reading up on THAT subject and you will almost sigh in relief that you’ve never hit the winning numbers! One article said that a staggering 70% of those who suddenly receive a windfall of cash will lose it ALL within just a few years! Not to mention all the other woeful issues they discover about themselves.
So I sit here day after day bored in the house wondering to myself: IS there a dichotomy between being retired and winning the Lottery?
I suppose if I had millions upon millions in my bank, I would face new, exciting, and interesting adventures in various degrees. What it would feel like to write a check and not even care one bit about the price! To give to others you love or want to support would be amazing! No financial stressors or living paycheck to paycheck any longer! Footloose and fancy-free baby! Depending on the size of my newfound windfall, if my buddies couldn’t take off work to join I would give them each $1 million to quit work! Ahhh, the freedoms and adventures! I could have just paid my housekeeper (if I had one) to scrub my shower from top to bottom as I sit here exhausted from doing it myself. My children and grandchildren would be the beneficiaries of generational wealth! No more cheap cigars for me!
Time to wake up now.
What EXACTLY did I think retirement was going to mean for me? We work our entire lives for this momentous occasion in our lives to what, be bored? Apparently, I wasn’t that careful about what I asked for. After a month of not working one of my competitors came after me to work. I was like, “sure, no problem. I have nothing else going on currently.” That lasted about 8 months. I simply could not get motivated to dive back into the jungle from which I just departed. We both made a mutual decision that it wasn’t a good fit. Ha Ha. Yeah, I will take that reasoning when I really know they discovered I wasn’t producing! It was worth a shot!
Why am I here rambling on? I am BORED out of my mind! Now I know some of you are thinking I must be a hermit and why don’t I find a hobby or activity, right? It just so happens that I am an avid mountain biker. It is my passion like nothing else I’ve ever encountered in my life. I enjoy reading. I have learned I enjoy writing ever since I found Medium. I’m certain my grammar, sentence structuring, etc. is horrid but hopefully, you can follow along without an interpreter. But I am learning! It amazes me how writing allows me to freely reach deep inside to get in touch with my own self! Not to mention expanding my vocabulary which exists of three words to date.
You work four decades to provide for your family. Enjoy life with family. Go places. Build that house and land to build your future on. Save what you can to put into your pension so you are hopefully able to live comfortably later on. My kids are grown and out on their own now. Proud Dad. You wake up one day and have nowhere to go, no reason to get dressed, have no urgency to check your phone for emails and texts. Hair unkempt. What do I want for breakfast this morning?
Would winning the Lottery help my situation? Eh, I might be able to afford nicer things but I’d still be faced with retirement and not being in the “game” any longer. I’m sure at some point I will make a decision to travel but that’s usually more fun with someone you love and enjoy.
If you have made it this far into my boring story then I commend and thank you! Try as I might, I just cannot seem to form a valid purpose for this story so I apologize for wasting valuable time that you will never get back! If anything, maybe you will reevaluate when the time comes for you to retire and make a good, purposeful decision for yourself and/or your family! I’m sure as I give it time things will fall into place. I’m an eternal optimist.
I’m bored in the house and I’m in the house bored. And I’m bored than a motherfucker, in the house bored. Bored in the house. Bored in the house.
Retirement. Ready or not, here I come!
