When I was preparing for retirement, my investment advisor told me to front load my retirement budget. . .that is, to plan on spending a lot more money each year during my 70s than during my 80s. His approximate words were: “No matter how fit, active and adventuresome my clients have been, every one of them seems to hit a wall around 80 years of age. They stop going places and doing things with anything like the frequency and zeal of earlier years. Could be impaired eyesight, diminished hearing, or aching joints; but something always seems to take away their wandering spirit and willful spending.”
My wife and I visited 12 countries and 12 states during the first 18 months of my retirement before the COVID-19 pandemic shut us down this past March. Now, we not only won’t visit other nations and states, we worry about traveling a few blocks to shop for groceries. . .when we wear masks and gloves and swab our way around the store with disinfecting wipes. We don’t dine out. We rarely entertain; and when we do, it’s outside, sitting across the deck from a party of one or two which arrives with its own beverages and bites.
Because of COVID, we couldn’t attend the adoption of our grand daughter in Texas or the marriage of our son in China.
It’s as if there’s been a tuck taken in the fabric of time. The necessary precautions I must make for my own and others’ health make me act like an octogenarian. Like I’ve aged more than eight years in less than eight months.
But while I hate it, I hesitate to whine.
Those who have lost their jobs or businesses, and struggle to pay their bills. . .those parents who struggle with child care because schools are closed to in-person instruction. . .those special needs children who must have individualized in-person instruction. . .those health care employees who have been over worked during this crisis. . .those people who have been under-served and are falling through the many gaping holes of an inadequate health care system. . .those who have become very sick. . .those who have lost loved ones to COVID. . .these are the folks for whom we should worry and on whose behalf we should work together to whip this virus.
None of us will get the bounce back in our step until everyone of us does what is required to make it safe for all of us to move about.
JER
ALL OVER THE MAP 
Jack, You, Peggy, Doon, and I certainly should not whine or complain, as you say, because we are so fortunate to have what we do. Some temporary delay of travel plans and being marooned in Australia are not the end of the world. I will be interested to see how we all are doing at 80. Let’s hope the money lasts. 🙂 Dave
LikeLike