Excerpted from 55 and Out, Author's Note
The License Plate
· 3 min read
My parents had this license plate. It declared their goal, a promise to themselves: retirement at fifty-five. It hung on their car for years, an ever-present reminder. They wanted to do what most people only talk about. They never made it. My father retired at sixty-seven, his body worn out. My mother took an early pension at sixty, smiling through uncertainty, always generous with money she didn't truly have.
Now, I have that license plate. It sits in my office, visible on every Zoom call. It's a reminder of what they wanted, and a stark reminder of what didn't happen. It tells me that wanting something and building something are two different things entirely. This book is for my mother, not because she asked for it, but because she taught me what I had to unlearn and then relearn: joy doesn't wait for permission. Wealth isn't just money. A life can be full, regardless of the bank account balance.
She lived through poverty and through plenty, and her essential nature never changed. That consistency puzzled me for years. Now I understand it: she knew what truly mattered. I spent decades trying to figure out what she already recognized.
This book exists because the script my parents followed was broken, and they knew it. That's why they put that plate on their car. They could clearly see what they wanted, even if they couldn't escape the script in time. I did. At fifty-four, I walked away. In a way.
This book isn't a financial plan or a step-by-step retirement guide. Instead, it aims to shift your thinking about time, money, and freedom. It's not about your money; it's about your time. Not your portfolio; your life.
The first half of this book invites you to reflect on assumptions, many inherited and unexamined, about when life is supposed to begin. The second half offers practical frameworks, tools, and hard-won lessons for building a life you don't need to retire from. I'm not prescriptive; I'm not your financial advisor. However, the examples are tangible enough for action.
I ignored these truths for years, then finally applied them, only to discover they had been true all along. This is a case for building freedom early, so life is lived forward, not deferred. Each of us has the chance to live two different lives: the first driven by ambition and money, the second by purpose and joy. You don't need to wait. You don't need permission. Just decide.
The plate gave me the goal without them knowing it. I kept the promise. Close enough.