Dear Crabby,
I’m so tired of the cold weather, should we retire out of state and leave Michigan?
Sincerely, Chilly Willy
Dear Chilly Willy,
I understand your frustration with our Michigan winters. So far this year it seems to be a repeat of last year, but without the snowfall. Warmer climates can be intoxicating when you’re wearing everything you own and you look like that kid from A Christmas Story. More than half the country will have freezing temperatures this week, so I’m sure this question is being asked all over the Midwest.
Mrs. Crabby used to tease me by suggesting we could move to Florida after we retire. I came home on my last day of working 45 years and immediately started packing. This was a strange sight, because I never packed for vacation. Mrs. Crabby would pack everything we needed and I would drive the car – seemed like a fair trade. Anyway, she asked me what I was doing and I reminded her of her plan to move south when I retire. “I’m only taking summer clothes,” I told her, “who needs a jacket in Miami?” Swim trunks, sunglasses, big hat … in the suitcase it goes. The metal detector I got as a Christmas present 10 years ago that I’ve never had time to use, packed, it will give me something to do on the beach. Then I notice that look, her look, the stare …
“What,” I say. My dear wife explains the deal was we could move when we retire, not when I retire. As a homemaker, Mrs. Crabby will never retire. She needs to cook for the grandkids on weekends and take them to the park after school. With a pair of sandals in one hand and a Finding Treasures with a Metal Detector for Dummies book in the other, I slowly start putting everything back.
Therefore, sure, you should retire out of state. Florida and Arizona are top of the list in the U.S. and Central America is a favorite for overseas. Check first with what deal you made with your wife. Your kids and grandchildren may just end up keeping you in Michigan. We still vacation to warm climates every winter, it’s great, but now Mrs. Crabby knows I can pack my own luggage.
Stay Warm, Dear Crabby
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