I am talking with my barber about a colleague of his from the same shop, who got ill a year or so ago. He has not been at work ever since. “How far is he from retirement?” I ask. “Two years,” the barber replies, “but that would be early retirement.” “And how about returning to work when he gets a bit better?” The barber laughs: “It’s kind of hard after a month on vacations, let alone after whole year…” “Well,” I raise my eyebrows, “I can’t imagine ever returning to work!” “How long has it been since your retirement?” he asks. “Almost ten years,” I reply quietly, “and that was early retirement.” Now both of us start laughing.