Learned hard way. Don’t say you’re retired. Tell them you are a Freelancer, a Consultant, or that you manage your own Private Firm or even you work as a sub contractor doing many things now.
To the outside world, "Retired" = Unoccupied.
To us, "Retired" = Financially Independent from the 9-to-5.
You’ve done your time. Time is the only passenger you can’t get back with distributions - treat it like the high-value investment it is.
Who else has noticed that people treat you differently once they hear the "R" word? How do you describe your "new life" to keep your boundaries firm?