The twilight years is an idiom that refers to the final years of a person's life. It can also refer to the transition to retirement and the time after retirement.
To me it feels like into retirement until your final days.
I had never thought about "retirement". There was always career and family, the need for money to pay the bills, interspersed with my own interests in the spare moments to fill my head and time.
I had a friend Greg, a few years older that was a primary school teacher, that retired. He then spent 3 years in his garage making model based special effect films. Like this:
Greg then very quickly died of cancer.
All seemed such a waste, and you never know how much time you, or the people you care about have left.
So 7 years or so ago, when my wife said she wanted to move back to Japan, and we did the numbers, was the first real time retirement was a thing to me. It was time. Had never considered moving back to Japan after leaving in 2001, but there were many things that made that very attractive, as a short trip in 2018 made very clear again.
Retiring from my technical career was such a huge stress relief. A massive weight I had carried finally gone from my life was something that I had NOT expected. That alone probably added years to my life.
I am amazed, my wife too, that 2024 was like "the best year ever" for me with my own creative endeavors, visiting exhibitions, friends and other events. And none of that really cost anything at all compared to just our living expenses.
I don't have any "goals" anymore. Just do the things that make me a "happy camper" and be with close family.
Hope the years moving forward are just as good, but I realize getting around gets harder the older I get, so don't know how many years that will be. Keeping fit and controlling your weight is very important.
The party just ends when it ends...
We can be found at ArtAndTechnology
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