A note to my older self.

Its been awhile. Almost 9 years in fact, since my last and only post. I am writing today out of two reasons; I'm stuck at home and I just got myself a new keyboard!

A teacher of mine just retired recently so I thought that it would be nice to write something about ageing and retirement. I do not intend to write a long piece here.

Ageing is becoming a big topic nowadays - at least it is for me. If the phrase "the only thing certain in life is death and taxes" still holds - by the way, it was coined by Benjamin Franklin - then ageing is an imminent transition in life. Some will be fortunate, or unfortunate depending on the way one looks at it, to weather through the hardship of life and to retire at old age. 

Many people do not age very well (ps. I am not referring to my teacher!). For some, it is a mixed bag of being scary, lonely and dull. This got me to think - are they not preparing for this phase of life? I mean they have a lifetime to prepare, literally. 

Perhaps this is due to the perception that retirement is a different phase of life, entirely distinct from the one preceding it. For me, the transition is not a discreet process. Many aspects of life post-retirement are just a continuation of whatever that is in place before that. This is similar to how we created the calendar to keep track of days and months. New year, for example, is merely a concept and does not differ much from an average day in that particular time of the year. Retirement, therefore, is just a manmade concept to define a stage in life. No big deal, right?

I believe there are a few things in life that are worth looking into to ensure happiness in later years. Money is important, so invest well but do not get bogged down by it. Forget instant gratification, which is the mother of all suffering. 

Also, look after one's health. Health gives you mobility and conscience, where both of these are essential in the formula for a happy life. These are also the aspects that we tend to overlook in our youth, taking it for granted.

Lastly, have friends. Humans are by large, social creatures. Remain active and be involved in community activities. It is true that sometimes, nasty people will show up but there always ways to deal with them. The benefit of being socially active outweighs the harm of these nasty beings.

So I have come to the end of my task today. The mechanical keyboard is loud! 

Perhaps this would also be a good reminder for my older self, though my view might be different by then. God knows - I am not religious though - when I will write another post. Till then, Adios!