Unfulfilled Desire to Learn French

I can still remember the first time I had the desire to learn French. It is was way back in 1986. I was browsing at the Sapna Book Shop in Bangalore. And on the top shelf were this huge letters staring back at me: Linguaphone's Learn French. This was before the days of CD and podcasts. I could not afford it, of course. But the desire stayed.
I am now 47. I am not sure there are many at my age who start learning a new language. And that too for no reason other than to address an unfulfilled desire that is 25 years old.
My friends and family ask me if there is anything to gain from this.
Any thing to gain???
I guess no.
Or perhaps this is part of my retirement plan - when I am done with my day job, I will teach young children French. Or perhaps, I will freelance as a translator. Now that is not a bad idea. No?