What Color is Your Parachute For Retirement?

I thought retirement meant you stopped working one day, and did not work again.  

You were now free to live a life of leisure, sort of like Senior Skip Day in high school, except it went on for awhile. 

I remember Senior Skip Day in high school.  There were a bunch of kids who were told by the administration that they must attend on this very unofficial holiday, or face dire consequences for their graduation.

Those of us who were not given that ultimatum set up lawn chairs across the street from the high school where all of our - still-attending-class mates could see us and knash their teeth.

We were bored with that arrangement rather quickly.

And I imagine I would be rather bored with retirement that did not involve some challenge too.

Which is part of the point that Bolles and Nelson make in their book, What Color is Your Parachute for Retirement.

They suggest that we can plan for a retirement that includes engagement,  challenge, and service.  Plan for it?  Yeah, that is cool.

So what are the talents that I want to engage in my transition?

Well,   I have small children,  one 9, one 3, and she is a ball of fire.  (Being a Leo, she needs no sleep).  I am a small business owner,  I am a husband, I am a budding web entrepreneur,  and I love to read.

I think that what intrigues me the most is the online business aspect of my life.  Making money building Squidoo lenses?  That is so cool.  Now to figure out what it means to optimize a web page.