I feel a mix of both — more freedom in some ways, more limits in others. How do you see it?
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Both free to get up and do what you want and go away on hol8days. And challenging as in dealing with any health issues
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Exactly - giving up salaried work is very, very freeing. And assuming your saving / pension plans worked out it is freeing to do a lot more of what you enjoy.
The health & physical well being can bring challenging. As can budgeting if the saving / pension plans create gaps.
And cold winters do seem to be more challenging. As can spending 24/7 with your partner. At times quite challenging.
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Definitely more freeing, especially in the early years of retirement. I’ve never been keen on having to work for a living and if I could have afforded it, I wouldn’t have worked at all.
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I wouldn’t say getting older is more freeing, it does require an acceptance of not being able to do the things you took for granted as a younger person.
And there are loved ones to consider. Although you might be quite able bodied yourself, your loved ones especially your spouse, might need additional help and occupy a large part of your time if you are retired.
So it can be quite challenging.
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Agree, I packed up when 50. That was great, now in my upper eighties it aint much fun. People hate old people, we become disregards and are the cause of all that is wrong in their lives. Hitting 100mph in the car is still fun, but not on bends.
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I think getting older is more freeing.
Since I retired and don’t have to keep my portfolio of clients happy and kowtow to “customer service” politeness, I feel a bit more free to express my personal opinions and I’ve stopped worrying about what other folk think of me.
That is very liberating. 
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Absolutely!
And if I may say so you’ve put that in a considered, thoughtful and insightful way 
I still harbour thoughts of taking up Shotokan karate.
Not through aggression, I just used to love practicing the kata.
I don’t know, it’s still on my maybe list 
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Hi
Definitely more challenging.
I had it all planned out , downsize, finances and travel plans,fishing round the world.
Then my heart went on strike and ruined things.
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I am with you on that one, Swimfeeder, fishing around the world. I have sold all my tackle, which I found heartbreaking, much of it not used. Alas, like yourself, varied health problems have robbed me of most things in life I enjoyed, and my walking is now restricted to walking around the house. Gone also is my “Dream Machine” as it was never used. I tell myself I should have kept it, but in truth, what pleasure is there on the roads here at least, these days? Long gone are the days when one of us suggested going out for a Sunday drive. Still, the plus is we are both still here and still have transport. Soon, people will retire, and the over 70s will be stopped from driving, driven off the road by people who are clueless at driving and always will be.
They say that getting to my age makes me one of the lucky one per cent. I would agree if you could get to my age and stay fit as well.
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Freedom. Personified.
Of Serious and Compiling responsibilities’. In Armed Services and subsequent Civilian.
The Former. As a. QR Set Piece.
The Latter. Ever changing directions. Learning to Disregard events in Downtime.
Making Laughter and Relaxation a Rarity.
Aimed to retire at 60. Stooled to 65. Retired 25Yrs.
5 of which,
Readjusting To the Freedom. Of Relaxing and Meaningful Music. Laugher. Comfortable in ones Own Skin. Uncontrolled & Unflustered. By this ever-changing world.
The Bonus of those formative QR’s. Self Reliant & Independent.
“De-Pe-Dance”. PMA. 
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I see a lot of folks on my journey’s everyday, don’t seem to matter how much provision they have made, they all seem pissed off 
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The problem is that when you get old, you cannot plan for the future as you once did, as you do not know if you will be here or if some woke-driven idiot is going to come up with another brain-dead rule. Like, should I buy an Aston Martin, and if I do, will some idiot want me off the road because I am old?
If your old and rich, you don’t need to drive the Aston Martin, you just have to ogle it and think how clever you have been.
Make it a Morgan then Spitfire, Not “Morgan a suitable case for treatment”, even if there is a close resemblance.
If yer can’t drive anything, because of age, it might as well be an Aston.
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Yer Spit, then you could bring me flowers.
Blimey, that’s a Grave Yard 
For me, it’s both. Getting older has been freeing in the sense that I worry far less about pleasing others and more about what truly matters. At the same time, it can be more challenging physically and emotionally. I think the real shift is learning to work with those limits rather than fighting them.
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