Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Blog Challenge: Where Do You See Yourself in 10 Years?

This prompt couldn’t have come at a better time. I’ve been sitting with this exact thought lately—what will retirement look like for me?

In 10 years, I’ll be 75.
Right now, at 64, I imagine I’ll need to keep working until I’m at least 70, even though the official retirement age is now 67. I remember a time when 65 was the magic number. My daddy retired at that age with a solid pension and decent social security. It seemed like that was the norm back then. But times have certainly changed.

Today, unless you landed a secure job and stayed for 20-plus years, it’s hard to leave the workforce with much more than uncertainty. And then there’s me—the free spirit. I’ve never liked working for others. I’ve walked a creative path: a flower business, a coffee house, and an entertainment marketing company. But I made the mistake of not contributing consistently to social security during those years. That decision is catching up with me now, making the future feel less secure.

Then there’s the political climate—Trump’s influence and the general instability in leadership worry me deeply. I can’t help but wonder what the state of social security will be by the time I’m eligible. It’s unsettling.

I hope that by 75, I will be retired. But truthfully, I don’t know what that will look like. Will I be healthy enough to enjoy life? Will I be able to afford to live in peace? Seattle has become so expensive, and I already feel the pinch now. What will ten more years bring?

Ideally, I would have loved to write about a peaceful life. I’d be living in a cozy place near the water, sipping coffee by the lake. I’d be blogging, reviewing books and music, tending to a garden filled with vegetables, fruit, and flowers. I’d be sitting on a porch with a cat in my lap, a glass of lemonade in hand, and old school music playing in the background. Maybe My Peace and I would see each other often—he’d come over for dinner, and we’d go on long drives listening to music and reminiscing about life.

But right now, that vision feels like a dream—something I pray for but can’t quite grasp. There’s fear in the unknown, and I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t weigh on me. Still, I know one thing to be true: life has always found a way to work itself out. I’ve survived a lot. I’ll figure this out too.

In July, I’ll turn 65.
And just like that, the countdown begins.

LadyFlava of LadyFlavaNews

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