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How To Retire Without Money
By Bob Belmont
CHAPTER 3
WHEN TO RETIRE
Page 1 of 7
Do you know
what the word vicarious means? My dictionary puts it this way:
Vicarious,
adjective. 1. performed, exercised, received or suffered in
place of another. 2. taking the place of another person or
thing; acting or serving as a substitute. 3. pertaining to or
involving the substitution of one for another.
For instance,
if you go to a movie and watch two or three cowboys kill a
hundred or so Indians, you are having a vicarious adventure.
You aren't doing it yourself, but you are thrilled, excited,
titilated by seeing someone else do it. When you read a love
story you have a vicarious romance. You yourself aren't
kissing or being kissed, but vicariously you enjoy the thrills
of love.
For many
years publishers specializing in travel guides have realized
that the greater number of persons who buy their travel books
are not going to actually do any traveling. They are what are
known in the trade as armchair travelers. In short they are
vicarious travelers. They love the thought of traveling to far
lands, the meeting of strange peoples, the seeing of the great
sights of the world— but they never get around to doing it.
Personally, I
have met many of these people. They will sigh in admiration at
the many countries I have seen and invariably will say, "All
my life I've wanted to travel but I've never been able to
afford it. I don't see how you do it." Out in front of their
house will often be parked a current model of one of Detroit's
biggest monstrosities which cost nearly four thousand dollars.
With half that amount they could have taken a leisurely trip
around the world. That would still leave them enough to buy a
smaller car, or a used one.
They are
vicarious travelers, not real ones. They don't really want to
travel but just think about it, and read about it, and talk
about it.
Or we might
mention two friends who publish a small magazine in Florida
called the Florida Opportunity Bulletin. It is full of
information about retiring to Florida, or setting up a small
business in Florida, or finding employment in Florida. They
distribute by advertising in national publications and in
newspapers in the northern cities. They have literally tens of
thousands of subscribers. Most of these subscribers they find
are vicarious dreamers who will never take the step. They
would love to leave the coldness and drabness of their
northern homes but for whatever reason don't. Each month they
get their copy of the Bulletin and moon over it, and discuss
the various Floridian cities and towns, discuss the various
jobs, the business opportunities—but they never actually pull
up roots and go.
All of which
is a rather lengthy build-up to what I'm driving at.
>>> CHAPTER 3
WHEN TO RETIRE Page 2
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