Picking The Right Time To Retire

"For Flambeau, after all his violent adventures, still possessed what is possessed by so many Latins, what is absent (for instance) in so many Americans, the energy to retire. It can be seen in many a large hotel-proprietor whose one ambition is to be a small peasant. In can be seen in many a French provincial shopkeeper, who pauses at the moment when he might develop into a detestable millionaire and buy a street of shops, to fall back quietly and comfortably on domesticity and dominoes."

Those familiar with G.K. Chesterson's short stories about the priest-detective Father Brown will surely recognize the name of Flambeau. After being the most famous criminal in France, Flambeau later enjoyed a career as a very private detective in England. And then he retired--apparently at just the right time.

And what is the right time? I've been plagued with desire for 20 years, but resource constraints devoured any idea that begged serious consideration. So what is the key?

Flambeau retired when he still had the energy to do so. And pondering my personal ledger sheet of energy, both emotional and physical, the balance will be just about depleted when I actually retire at the end of this week. The right timing perhaps--at least Flambeau might agree.

In a recent exchange of emails with friends Lonnie and Michelle Teague, I casually mentioned doing some pre-retirement housecleaning while my wife leisurely lunched with her friend Beth. Michelle's response was barbed: "I certainly hope you remembered to sweep under the furniture!" Such a put-down deserved a bristling retort, one she might want to hide from Lonnie.

"I don't usually sweep under furniture. It makes more sense to haul it to the driveway first, clean the whole floor at once, and then haul it back in. But these days, Mary seems to be slowing down a bit in getting the stuff out the door. This time it probably took her half a day to get the couch out--in spite of all my encouragement on how to twist it so it would go through the door. But once I retire, I should have more time to refine my instructions, and I expect her to do better."

This, of course, is as fictional as Flambeau's adventurous escapades, but energy is not. It's tangible and measurable. Thus we count on a concept explained in the Bible (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). "Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up."

And therein lies the hope for solving the energy crisis--we'll help each other work through this new era of "domesticity and dominoes." And we'll sweep under the furniture together.

Copyright 2002 James McAlister

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