Retirement, or semi-retirement in my case, has many benefits. A more relaxed daily routine and a reduction of stress are the major benefits in my situation. Indeed, looking back, I find it hard to believe I endured as much stress and daily pressure as when I supported myself as a writer. The rub is not writing but hustling. You have to keep getting writing assignments for checks that will arrive months later, keeping ahead of yourself so you can pay your bills on time. So at any given point in time, you might be finishing an article or work, researching or interviewing for several others, waiting for the arrival of a check or checks from previous work, and shaking the bushes for your assignments and income down the road. It gets about as stressful as a body can take. I don't recommend it.
On the flip side and related to this, is the writing life when supported by grants. This life is wonderful! You get paid before the work, not after it, and the only benchmark may be a single deadline for turning something in, though often there are no formal strings attached at all. I feel blessed for living on grants for as many years as I did. I recommend it.
I think of Social Security as a kind of grant. I like it.
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