Retirement Reality Check

In the early reality of old age, when the horizon comes into focus with glasses, numerous new options become viable and available to us.  Upon reflecting, saving for more than half of our working years makes retirement possible, the discipline to save plausible, and security from savings stockable.

It turns out, unintended consequences become a reality as well.  Sure, paid off debts, savings, a pension, Social Security, IRA’s and 401K plans make retirement possible. Owning your own home is ideal, but unsuspecting retirees have become the focus of opportunists who care less about our ideals. 

We thought we’d have newfound freedom in our retirement, not just in the sense of living on our savings, but to roam freely as well.  It turns out, a new sense of caution develops and hinders our free will to roam, especially alone.   

To relate:  my spouse and I would wait until the weekend to grocery shop for ourselves and my parents.  I retired a few months earlier than my spouse, so I decided to shop during the week.  This would hopefully free up my spouse and I up for the weekend.

Twice in a month I was approached in the grocery store parking lot by unknown people as I returned to my car. 

On the first occasion, I saw a 30’ish year old woman conversing with shoppers a few rows away from my car.  She caught sight of me and sure enough, made her way over.    She said, “Ma’am, I don’t mean to bother you, but…”.  I felt isolated and compromised, so I excused myself and left, rather than speak with her.

On the second occasion, I was returning to my car in a more populated area when I saw a 40ish year old, physically fit man, hurriedly traversing the store parking lot.  Fortunately for me, he cut through the lot short of my row, only to circle back to ask, “Do you need some help loading your groceries?”

I said, “No thank you”, but he lingered and asked: “What do you make of all this pandemic?”  I was wearing a mask. He wasn’t, so I said: “Maybe the best we can do is to wear a mask!”  He then said, “Is Jesus in any of that?”  Again, I excused myself and left.

Once at home, I shared with my spouse the two recent encounters.  We agreed that we didn’t have these types of experiences shopping together, so we decided to resume doing so.  We also agreed on a plan should future awkward encounters present.

Prior to shopping alone and to avoid surprises in grocery store parking lots, consider your courses of action should unexpected encounters occur.  Minimally, you might consider holding your key fob, either as a weapon or to press panic to honk your horn.

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Joyce Lynn Eggleston

May 2022 – Indianapolis, IN

Inspired being a possible victim