When you are working, the thought of retirement is a pleasant dream. Not having to get up and go to work. Not having to deal with the all of the unpleasantness. Having the ability to do what you want, when you want.

Unfortunately, the first year after retirement seems to be pretty rough on men. There are a number of reasons for this, substance abuse, risky behaviors, etc. Seems that a few of us men tend to go off the rails when we don’t have a process to follow.

Life expectancy for men is 78.6 years. For women it is 81.1 years. It seems that what women have been telling us men for years is true….they are smarter than us. They don’t do the silly shit that us men do. Women tend to seek medical care earlier than men. Men tend to smoke excessively, drink the same, and be overweight. And men do silly shit.

That all being said, just what exactly is my point? Really have no idea. This all came up after a rando comment my daughter made to me the other day. Her mother lives in the area that we do, and my daughter….being a very good daughter, checks up on her mom regularly. The other day mom asked how I was adapting to being here. The answer was that I am doing well, keeping to myself, playing in the garden, and working. Mom made the comment that she was surprised that I was keeping to myself, that back in the day I was a social butterfly.

That comment made me think. Here is a woman who knew me back in the day. Back when I truly had no clue of anything. I was a social butterfly back then because I never knew where I fit in. This old man, as cool confident and suave as I am now, was running scared back in the day.

The way we change with the years is tremendously interesting. The wild, and loose way we live our early lives. The slow settling of our 30’s, and 40’s. The weird itchiness of our 50’s as we prepare for our later years. And finally the comfortable feeling of being an elder statesman.

I finally have found where I fit in. Sweet.