The other day the activities director in our community took me aside and told me, “You're retired. You should not be so involved.” I was shocked. Yes, I might be overinvolved, but what does she think retirement is? Lounging in my recliner glued to the TV? It was curious that someone who relies on volunteers for a lot of our community’s events thinks retirees shouldn’t “get so involved.”
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Just ask a fellow retiree and the volunteer community library director. “Yes, we are all retired. But the desire to give back by volunteering should never retire. Anyone who has ever been a volunteer knows how important and how satisfying it can be. It becomes a source of pride.” (1)
The director has a point. Some weeks my volunteer activities are a full-time job. And some weeks I put in my fair share of overtime. Sometimes I’d love to have more time to do crafts or to soak up Florida’s sun.
Back when I retired after 35 years at Amoco it dawned on me that my job wasn’t only a paycheck. It was about friends, learning, and being creative. Creating courses brought together everything I loved: learning, writing, and graphics. I needed to keep those connections and creativity flowing.
After the director’s warning, I wondered, “How should people spend their retirement?” I Googled retirement but all I found was talk about having enough money when you retire. They didn’t talk about what to do with your life. So I searched, “What does being retired mean?.”
Most of the retirement to-do lists included Travel. (2) For several years we traveled much of the year in our motor coach. We gave up the motor coach when we moved to our retirement community because upkeep became a challenge. If you enjoy travel, there are several travel blogs for seniors: Roaming Boomers, The Gypsy Nesters, Senior Nomads, and Savvy Senior Travelers (Rick Steves).
We had some wonderful travels in our Motorcoach
Crafting was another suggestion. I crafted more when I worked. Sometimes I did counted cross-stitch during my train commute. Wondering why I no longer craft as much, at first I blamed the lack of space in our smaller abode. But then I realized that part of my love of crafting was the calming effect of simple repetitive actions after hectic work days. I no longer need that outlet as much. Besides, I don’t have the wall space for all those cross-stitch pictures and each year I need more magnification to see what I’m doing.
As a side note, One time on the train I was stitching with white floss on white fabric. The burly young man sitting next to me, who looked like an offensive lineman with the 49ers, was fascinated, “What are you doing?” he asked in a curious, non-snarky way. I laughed, “It must seem strange putting white thread on white,” but I showed him a picture of the finished product – a polar bear. I’m guessing he wondered why someone would spend time stitching a white-on-white Christmas ornament when you could buy nice ornaments in the store.
Some people would think stitching a Christmas Ornament is crazy
I tried a watercolor class. What a mess. I never got the knack of how much water to add so I had dozens of puddles from barely tinted water to dampened clay. It was so frustrating. I spent more time adding water and mopping up puddles than I did painting. I confess I’m much more of a paint-by-number type, where the paint is premixed and the design is provided. Better yet, a coloring book with pencils – no mess.
A lot of my friends enjoy babysitting their grandchildren to give their children a break from the kids! But be careful, it can become a full-time job - but I bet some of you would enjoy that.
The site also suggested being a bus driver, a museum guide, or a greeter. A bus driver? No thanks. Driving a 40-foot RV was challenging enough and it wasn’t loaded with screaming kids.
Being a greeter or a museum guide is out of the question. I don’t know about you, but I have trouble standing for an hour, let alone all day. I like cars, so I would love to be a docent at our local Revs auto museum, but I don’t think they want docents who have to take a sit break every 15 minutes. tin
Docent at Revs Museum, Naples, FL shows a McLaren
Learning to play an instrument is supposedly great for retirees. It improves memory, focus, and gives you a sense of accomplishment. (3) I tried ukulele class. I had fun playing when I was a teenager, so why not? But other commitments and my fingernails got in the way, so my ukulele career was short-lived. Hubby still plays.
US News and World Reports suggests reading, sleeping, relaxing, or becoming a certified financial advisor. (4) I’m good at reading, sleeping, and relaxing. I can’t add four numbers together correctly so I’m guessing being a financial advisor is out of the question. And living in an area with mostly retirees, there's a CFA every block. Besides, wouldn’t I have to wear a suit and go into the office?
After browsing these retirement lists, it seemed like many of the suggestions were for the newly retired. I figure with longer life spans, retirement spans decades for many of us lucky people. The first decade is for adventure and doing things you couldn’t while working a full-time job. Then as our body slows and our muscles ache it’s time for more sedentary activities.
Eventually, I'll trade the busy days for a crochet hook and make lap blankets for seniors. But for now, I'm content being swamped, staying active, and using my talents. Because isn't that the whole point of retirement? Making time for what you love?
References
Syd Mellinger, Connect to Others, Bentley Village Sequent Magazine, November 2023.
What to Do in Retirement, Actsretirement.org,
8 Benefits Of Playing Musical Instruments In Your Senior Years, Discoveryvillages.com,
Emily Brandon, How Retirees Spend Their Free Time, money.US News. Com, May 3, 2023
Nick Green, Things to do in retirement – 25 ideas to inspire you, unbiased.co.uk, July 14, 2023
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