Richard... just scrolling through quickly, I misread you as saying you thought you had nodded off. I thought, if that happens often, best consider retirement now, before it gets worse. Then I reread it and realised you simply thought you'd posted something completely out of keeping with your equable personality, and it had been removed tout de suite.
Seriously, though, a skilled tradesman imparting his knowledge to punters at B&Q, and earning a pittance, is probably better off than, and gets as much job satisfaction as, say, a retired person trying to make a few coppers as a musician. But either way the few coppers go a lot further once the mortgage is paid off.

Not that I would want to justify the low wages "enjoyed" in either situation.

But for those of us with only a state pension, a part-time job not only helps financially, but provides a social life and helps to keep us fit, so there are non monetary gains as well; so it actually enhances the quality of (semi-) retirement tremendously. Although the thought of disappearing into the sunset with the fiddle and the kids inheritance is very tempting!