Packing for Retirement

It's possible that the Scouts did it to me.  Whenever I go on a trip now, especially on an airplane, the intricacies of packing take up a great deal of time in imagining, shopping, and sorting through the things of  my life to find the perfect fit to the variables of airline regulations, airplane discomfort, lightweight traveling, and contingencies of all types.  What if I have to sleep on the floor at Heathrow? Will I actually use the umbrella? Will this bag make me look too nerdish? Dare I wear the baseball cap? At the moment, I really am spending way too much time packing for my first trip to South Africa. Separate camera?

Of course, since my sabbatical is a reflective experience, I will turn this innocuous habit into a deep and meaningful analogy that has dark overtones.

Be prepared! That's the Boy Scout's marching song

Be prepared! As through life you march along

- Tom Lehrer

It's not really anxiety, but it certainly is a desire to manage the future, insofar as that is possible.  Luckily for all of us, there is a whole pack of money managers who want us to be very concerned about our financial futures.  It's all about imagining how life will be for us.  Closer to the kids?  Less stuff? Do I like a warmer climate enough to move?  How important are my friends to me?

"Hope for the best and prepare for the worst" (The Tragedie of Gorbuduc) is never more relevant than when we are getting ready to travel, or, as it turns out, retire.