Holding the line

Another month has passed.  No big additions have entered the 401k, so I haven't been in the buying mode. Thus, I also haven't liberated any cash in the IRAs.  The recent correction has re-corrected.  Not having cash, I couldn't take advantage of it.  That is the eternal dilemma; hold cash for opportunities, or invest it so it's at work; I can't have it both ways.
This month has been characterized by sitting on my hands. I've thought about liquidating the few bond funds I have held for several years. They have performed miserably over the last few years. I don't see much reason to assume it'll be better any time soon. I think the best thing going is the DRIP programs. If I weren't DRIPing, I'd have about half a position worth of cash every 3 months to take advantage of price corrections in stocks I own or want to own. On the other hand, I wouldn't be growing each position. I still like the fact that each position grows by 2.5-5% yearly through the DRIP.
I don't have any intention to sell stocks, so fluctuations in their valuation doesn't concern me as much as the growth and safety of their dividends. Another interesting feature of the DRIP is that the dividend DOES grow every year, even if the dividend per share doesn't, because reinvestment is increasing the share count by the percentage yield every year. Fortunately, the dividend per share does grow yearly for almost all of my holdings, so the compounding is accelerated by that fact.

I see conditions in my profession continuing to deteriorate. I see stressers tearing at the fabric of our mutual goodwill. I'm still almost 12 years from eligibility for full social security. I'm looking for another pathway; one that replaces dread with anticipation.  There are still a few things in the world of work that charge me up. I'm ready to jettison everything else. Unwinding the last entanglements is the hardest task, as these are the most entrenched entanglements of all.
I guess it's getting to be time to figure out exactly how much it will take to live, so I can begin to zero in on that target date for retirement.