All those little things that my grandfather said
Not so little now, here in my grown-up head
I didn’t always see the wisdom at the time
But I’m older now
Song by Jimmy Buffett
Do you ever feel like you’re not being heard or seen? When some snippy host or hostess gives you some fake, empathetic response to your request for a table for six? “Oh, I’m so sorry, we only have 5 p.m. or 9 p.m. available.”
Isn’t it great when you show up with a reservation and, right before they’re about to say, “Oh, I’m sorry, we only have…” you say, “Reservation at six.”
Look, I’m not trying to be a jerk; it’s just another example of the lack of respect out there, and it’s to be filed under “that’s life.”
What’s funny about life is that we already know the answers to many of its problems; a bit of foresight would make it a whole lot easier. The stuff our parents told us about cleaning our rooms and helping with the dishes finally hits when you’re living in Boston with a bunch of slobs often referred to as your friends.
We’re told to be careful with our money and to save ‘til it hurts.
Then one day you wake up, you’re 65 and about to retire, or newly retired, and you read about this opportunity that can’t miss. It offers some incredible yield well above Treasuries, and you think, “Self, this would make life easier.”
And it might, or it might not. You just don’t know. Isn’t it interesting how, when entrepreneurs are asked what factors contributed most to their success, luck—or being lucky—is often a top-three reason?
When it comes to investing in your retirement life, you want to try to avoid big mistakes. When you’re just starting out in your retirement life, you may have already been given the answers, but you don’t know until you know.
As I’ve said before, investment lessons will be taught, it’s just a matter of when. Try to minimize the costs of the lesson.
Action Line: A good time to do it is when you have equal strains on all parts. When you want to be heard and seen, email me at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com.
