What does Everybody do?

Priaptor said:
I tried retirement in 2007 for 4 months, drove myself crazy, my wife even crazier and my 3 dogs even crazier. They all kicked me out of the house and told me to go back to work. Retirement was the toughest job I ever had.

I may try retirement again in a couple of years as I just turned 65 and just had twin (boy and girl) grandchildren. However, my wife wants to be near the grandkids in NYC. There lies the rub! I clawed my way out of that place in 87 having grown up there, gone to med school and did my residency there and couldn't wait to get out. I break out in cold sweats every time the plane approaches LaGuardia or JFK. The only thing worse than flying into NY is trying to get out.
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fascinating to hear your experience , so many hanker after retirement but it can drive you nuts if you miss your mates and stuck in a cold house all the time . takes quite a bit to manage so its not a death sentance
 
I am 42 with a young family working as a project finance lawyer helping developers and financiers build, operate and finance energy and infrastructure projects mainly in developing South East Asian countries. I have always loved music but until recently was not exposed to high end audio. Once I discovered it, and with guidance from Mike and a number of AS members, there has been no turning back!
 
I’m a business owner, 42. I run a language school with my wife (I'm not a teacher, mind you) with close to 300 teachers employed, so it is a substantial and time consuming operation. As a hobby, for the past 22 years, I've been running what has become the second largest hifi show in Europe (Audio Video Show in Warsaw, with over 170 rooms: LINK).
 
hifinutt said:
fascinating to hear your experience , so many hanker after retirement but it can drive you nuts if you miss your mates and stuck in a cold house all the time . takes quite a bit to manage so its not a death sentance
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I have always been a high octane high energy person. I was in charge of several radiology departments then got into Medical commercial real estate, helped develop a large multi-specialty group, help bring a company public made a bunch of other deals and in the end as Kevin Spacey said in American Beauty decided "I want as little responsibility as possible". I stopped doing interventional in 2005 and and after my last deal, decided to "just" be a diagnostic radiologist, with my little niche, working from 4-10 when it is really busy, keeping me really busy covering 3 stroke centers, 2 level 1 trauma centers, a city hospital.

My wife wants me to get back in to business with my son and to tell you the truth I am too burned out and in a very happy place right now as long as I don't retire. That is too mellow.

I like to always say there are two types of people. Those that love dogs and those that don't. Now I also thing it applies to retirement, those that love it and those that don't. I have seen too many just waste away after retiring and seen some flourish. You have to know your limitations and FINALLY after 65 years I know mine.
 
what a great bunch of people!

maui dan, so sorry about the loss of your wife. i hope that you had her for a long time

to DSkip. so very sorry to hear of your wife at such a young age. i hope you fine happiness and meaning in life very soon.

very sincerely,

bob
 
Old Bob said:
what a great bunch of people!

maui dan, so sorry about the loss of your wife. i hope that you had her for a long time

to DSkip. so very sorry to hear of your wife at such a young age. i hope you fine happiness and meaning in life very soon.

very sincerely,

bob
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I can't even imagine losing a spouse or a child. It has to be the hardest experience for any person.

My mother had a stroke at a very young age of 46 and I watched the dedication of my father staying by her side. Taking care of both of them and providing them with a nice 25 years of life in retirement was the most fulfilling part of my life. The same for my in-laws who we made sure lived a life like they wanted in the home they loved. Just me but I think too many in this world of ours shun the responsibility of taking care of loved ones, especially parents as they age and it is really great to see people on this site who gave so much to their loved ones in time of need as there is NOTHING more fulfilling. Giving doesn't necessarily mean money but time as the latter is irreplaceable.
 
Priaptor said:
I can't even imagine losing a spouse or a child. It has to be the hardest experience for any person.

My mother had a stroke at a very young age of 46 and I watched the dedication of my father staying by her side. Taking care of both of them and providing them with a nice 25 years of life in retirement was the most fulfilling part of my life. The same for my in-laws who we made sure lived a life like they wanted in the home they loved. Just me but I think too many in this world of ours shun the responsibility of taking care of loved ones, especially parents as they age and it is really great to see people on this site who gave so much to their loved ones in time of need as there is NOTHING more fulfilling. Giving doesn't necessarily mean money but time as the latter is irreplaceable.
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Inspiring post
 
I would like to thank everyone for sharing their stories, some of them very personal and painful. It certainly makes this forum more personal and it is a pleasure to get to know everyone a little bit better.

To Priaptor, I am jealous that you were an IV Radiologist. I turned down a Radiology Residency to do an EM Residency. Poor choice on my part.

Best Regards,

Larry
 
Larry

I never do things the easy way and it is a VERY LONG story BUT I went the surgery route initially (for 2 years) was lied to by my Chief regarding “my promised research career at NIH” and decided to move into the then new burgeoning field of Interventional Radiology.

It was a good decision. I stopped the IR thing in 2005. I spent too much time exposed to radiation and spent 12+ hours on my feet wearing heavy aprons etc. The whole thing became a turf war so now I’m just a regular radiologist and self taught neuroradiologist.
 
A very moving thread and painful for some who have lost those so dear. I am 68 and have been retired since 2005 when we moved from Long Island to Hilton Head area of South Carolina. I spent 30 years as owner of an insurance agency after growing up on Long Island, college in Iowa and back to Long Island. My first system was made by a company called Lafayette Radio. Integrated amp, speakers and a Dual turntable. Probably around 1964. Moved on to Kenwood receiver and Advent speakers and away we go.
Retirement consists of music, golf and traveling. Just back from a Med cruise. Wish I was still working so I could buy more gear.
Thanks for sharing everyone.
 
Have kept this to myself, but others have shared, so... In May 2011 my wife was taken by a very rare cancer, after a four month bout, just short of turning 41. (My mother passed about two weeks earlier after having cancer for five years.) I was 49 at the time... never ever did I think I would outlive my wife. It was my worst fear come true.

I gave up on everything, stopped making art, made attempts on my life. Listening to music, and getting deeper into high end gear became the obsession that probably kept me alive. This forum definitely helped in that regard.

Last fall I started painting again, and have a show lined up for this fall.
 
Am so pleased that you have found ways to find meaning. Please show photos/links to your paintings!
 
We all wish you a very successful show. I’m sorry for your losses and can’t imagine going through it all.

I have met the absolute best people through this hobby, err obsession. I don’t know what it is but I’m grateful for the friendships and camaraderie here.
 
Internal Medicine doc for many years.

Was involved in resident training early on. Later served as medical director of a PHO (physician-hospital organization/provider network) while still practicing full-time. Have been president of our 100+ physician group and oversee employee health for our several hundred employees. Did some drug research along the way. All that is to say I've seen health care from a number of perspectives which has been quite interesting.

Patient care is often stressful but always humbling, as others here know as well. Dealing with others' medical misfortunes, suffering, death, etc. certainly keeps me grounded. Music and audio are a great diversion from the trenches.

As a teen I was really into music. When I heard how much better my "rich friends' " stereo systems sounded compared to my parents crappy console my interest in the gear began. It wasn't until my early 20's that I got a "real" system and I've been into audio since then.

This forum is really the only one I actively participate in and has been a great resource for keeping up on music, gear and other tidbits of info. There are some great folks here with diverse and impressive experiences, lots of collective knowledge, and the discussions are (mostly) civil. Thanks to Mike and Joe for keeping everything afloat.
 
I lost my 1st wife too, we were both aged 20 and had an 11 day old son. That was 1978, a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, but I still think of her quite a lot.
My son is now the proud father of 2 childer and he is a Major in the British Army, doing really well for himself despite the difficult start to life.

My thoughts go out to those who have lost family members and I truly can understand your loss.
 
I think I was born an audiophile. I am drawn to music like a moth to light. I got one of those suitcase record players for Christmas as a kid, looking for records at yardsales or any where I thought I could find one. My family was fairly poor but I was always looking to upgrade what I had. I went to some of those all-in-one stereos etc. I couldn't see well enough to drive so when I turned 16 my dad bought me my first receiver, I picked out a Realistic with walnut cabinet and black face, huge analog dial for the tuner.

Fast forward late 80's into 90's I worked about 5 years for an audio store who also distributed, I worked in the wholesale area handling sales. I sold anything from antennas to home and car audio. I made minimum wage and having too much fun to care. Besides I got employee pricing. Before they went out of business I managed to get what I consider my first higher end system, a Kenwood special series integrated and Infinity Kappa 7's. My 3300d had a built-in DAC, I really think Kenwood may have been the first to do this, cutting edge in 1990.

By the time that company went out of business I had a wife, 2 kids and a house. Living in a small town with a vision problem I didn't have so many job options. So I took a training opportunity to work with IRS, if I was successful I had a job. I was, so I went from rural Missouri to Atlanta, GA. I loved it there, except the humidity, after 2 years we transferred to St. Louis to be closer to our families.

My main work has always been computer based, wearing a headset and talking to customers. Although my first several years was collections, then Accounts, then tax law pensions/IRA's, then tax specialist (sounds more important than it is, LOL). I've been on a 2 year detail in Quality Analysis which will end soon. So far a total of 25 years.

I've been on audio forums since about 2002. Most of that time to mainly just one. Then spammers took over the site. Which eventually led me hear via tip from Shadowfax. I visit a couple other sites but AS is my main one I like to be a pest at
 
JGlacken said:
A very moving thread and painful for some who have lost those so dear. I am 68 and have been retired since 2005 when we moved from Long Island to Hilton Head area of South Carolina. I spent 30 years as owner of an insurance agency after growing up on Long Island, college in Iowa and back to Long Island. My first system was made by a company called Lafayette Radio. Integrated amp, speakers and a Dual turntable. Probably around 1964. Moved on to Kenwood receiver and Advent speakers and away we go.
Retirement consists of music, golf and traveling. Just back from a Med cruise. Wish I was still working so I could buy more gear.
Thanks for sharing everyone.
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Hi Jeff,

You are a few years older than me. My dad had this tiny luncheonette on New Street in Manhattan right near Wall Street. When I was a kid I would always go to the Lafayette store near City Hall. I DREAMED one day of owning something that sounded so good. My Uncle, who everyone thought was a little nutty had a Fisher Stereo (as well as cameras, Lionel trains, etc) and I fell in love. My first stereo was a hand me down from him and I was hooked, although I think I listened to more music at the Lafayette store.

Howie
 
Hi Howie,

Very cool. Lafayette had their factory out on Long Island somewhere around Syosset or Plainview I think. I loved the volume knob on the unit. It was one knob split in two for each channel.
 
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