A thumb nail sketch of no particular interest while pondering a fork in the road.

[jfd64]

At 52 and retired, i am considering what i want to do when i grow up!Had a 3o year run as a contract skilled laborer in conjunction of rehabbing houses,rental props,and one big fat flop business venture back in my mid 20's.That was a laundry service.Pride came before my fall.Almost blew my brains out over that one.When my states economy went in the crapper in 2008 it wasn't hardy worth focusing on contract labor.My father was a brilliant,gifted, dirt farming jack of all trades workaholic that traded his life and time raising 12 chillens on pennies.According to my mother and 11 siblings i inherited the most of us of his natural his abilities.As wonderful as that may sound and often is there has been a real downside as far as the target and burdens it placed on me.I pretty much had hated mechanicing on vehicles but decided to try my hand at rehabbing cars for friends and family, while dealing with memories and emotions of my life as a toddler,a nasty set of events with the same brother as an adult and worked harder at professional drinking.During that time my sons teenage girlfriend had a funny lil car and i became her personal mechanic.I was befuddled when i couldn't beat those front rotors off! I had never seen such a thing!I ended up with it when the clutch went out and of course caught the bug.I didn't know there was a community of enthusiast and being raised in a cult, avoid joining any groups of people so it took a few years for me to awkwardly plunge in.Initially i didn't see how that anybody else in the world would see any value in a Festiva but being bi-polar,with ptsd and coupling anxiety issues and a set of unusual life experiences growing up most find unrelatable , i often see life through a different set of lenses than mostly normal folks. Not having connections, i had a hard time finding parts so i compulsively bought up every clunker within 3 hrs i could get my hand and built a large stock of parts.Realizing i could never use it all i starting posting up parts on c.l. and later on the bay and a little here on the forum.I gravitate toward and enjoy the general,repair,WTB/FS forums. Recently was able to sell and spin my last homes equity into nice newer ranch and have finally achieved my dream of the debt free, do what i want with my time, life.As what happens for me after achievement is a hollow lost feeling and waaay to much self-reflection on past failures and regrets.Now what to do that has value ,with give or take the 20 remaining years with what i have been blessed with and given that i can be at peace and find joy in.Being limited in shop space and parking my new property doesnt support my Festiva addiction like the last one did as currently configured so it is quite a lifestyle adjustment.My wife is pushing me to build a polebarn and i have the funds but i feel somewhat of a been there and done that mindset.Maybe something small cheaper and simple to at least maintain her vehicles would be wise and make sense.

[bhearts]

Do it, start the shop build!

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[firebush357]

Small Garage with a Lift that you can use to park a car on and under?!?

[Eaglefreek]

52 and retired. Nice. I'm soon to be 48 and don't see any chance of retiring for many years. Do whatever makes you feel happy. Maybe look for another hobby besides working on junk cars.

[TWFodor]

That's cool that you're from a large family. My wife is one of 13.

Build a shop if it makes you happy! Feed the Festy addiction! Best thing I've heard to do when retired is to keep moving and stay busy. Lord knows I'll probably never get to retire if the economy stays the way it is. Course I'm a ways off at 23 yrs old.

[1990new]

Stay as active as can, physically and mentally...and I hope you have a lot more than 20 remaining years to ponder many more forks.
I'll be 72 in a couple of months and I would like to think that I can hang around that many more myself. I have a grandson who will be driving soon (Rosie will be his) and I'll be teaching him to drive a stick shift and also along the way pass along as much of my knowledge about Festivas, and life in general, to him as I can.
You have been a big help to me and I'm sure lots of other folks here on the forum. Hope you hang around and I wish you all the best with whatever you decide.

[jfd64]

Thanks guys.I was pondering today maybe getting back into my ist love of music as a hobby today.I used to perform often publically vocally when called on to and folks expressed I had the ability to connect and move them.Amidst life trials I passed up those opportunities the past decade so I imagine there has been some erosion but maybe enough left for the less discerning and critical ears lol.