Well the Boomers are crying now. Market is down, 401k's are shrinking, and dreams of early retirement fading. The mad bull market that had us believe it would go up forever has faltered. The gains were so exciting it was easy to lose sight of the real goals and priorities. Financial accumulation became a mission rather than a means to an end.

I know, I know, what about retirement. Well what about it? Personally I don't believe in retirement, I believe in working. Work and activity are the measures of physical and mental health. Ideally, you are passionate about the work you do and it gives your life meaning. We are the only country in the world that has this ridiculous viewpoint of a magical age where we are not longer suppose to work. And WE didn't have it before the advent of social security. After all, the word retire was only used twice in the Bible, and in both cases as a punishment.

Financial giant TD Waterhouse is out with its first-ever survey examining Canadians' satisfaction in retirement. Bottom lines: (1) unexpected, tough adjustments to life after work; and (2) widespread realization that money provides the means to, not the ends of a happy retirement.

Among the findings, as reported in Canada's National Post:

- A quarter of retirees aged 55 to 70 found it hard to adapt to a life no longer defined by their work;