I retired 24 years ago with $1.3 million saved. Joy in retirement isn't a given — we made sacrifices to get here.

IanDikhtiar

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Bill Bengel, 84, a Michigan retiree who stopped working 24 years ago. After spending most of his career at General Motors, Bengel retired and lived the next two decades at a lake house in northern Michigan and in Florida. However, after developing a vascular disease, he had his left leg amputated two years ago, and he's learned to reevaluate his retirement goals. His words have been edited for length and clarity.