Okay, folks, let’s talk about the elephant in the room, the shimmering mirage on the horizon, the thing we’ve been (hopefully) saving for, dreaming about, and occasionally cursing under our breath: Retirement. For years, decades even, it’s been the “goal.” Work hard, climb the ladder, sock away some cash, and BAM! Golden years await. But the older I get (and trust me, I’m closer to “golden” than “youthful glow” these days), the more I wonder: What is retirement? And what in the heck am I supposed to do with all that “golden” time? See, the thing is, they sell you this picture, right? Sunny beaches, endless golf games, sipping margaritas at sunset… and that sounds boring after about a week. A vacation is fantastic, but retirement is supposed to be… life! If we’re honest with ourselves, just without the 9-to-5 (or the 7-to-7). So, I’ve been doing some soul-searching (and a lot of frantic Googling) to figure out what truly makes retirement “golden.” And I’m realizing it’s not about stopping working but choosing what you work on. Goodbye Clock, Hello Freedom (of Choice!) For most of us, the beauty of retirement isn’t the absence of activity; it’s the absence of