Month: November 2020

What I wish I knew as a creator

I enjoyed this fun I Wish They Had Told Me This Years Ago YouTube video by Julie of Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff.

If you’re interested in meeting more artists, check out the Cheap Joe’s Artspeak series.

Fellow folks on the retirement arc: I’m hoping these occasional posts nudge you forward in your creative pursuits, or nudge you forward to finding creative pursuits.

Ahhh…retirement!

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay 

Why this photo? The phone is put aside. Ditto with the remote. But the steaming drink [sniff, sniff…is that a hint of brandy?] is begging for your attention.

Need more affirmation of your downshift? Let’s consult a six-year-old boy [and his tiger].

Want more suggestions?

Check out usnews.com’s The Art of Doing Nothing in Retirement . Warning: While the suggestions are solid, the sensory assault of the ads might be annoying and send you back to the ever-wise Calvin.

To spare you of the onslaught, here are the first three points:

  • Let go of the guilt.
  • There will be a period of adjustment.
  • Welcome the lower stress levels

Retiree question: Returning to full time work? Yes or no.

This kind of work doesn’t look all that bad, actually. Immediate knowledge of results, after all.

Today’s question…

Would you consider going back to a full time job?

Hmmm…I’d say only if I had to, but really, at my age, I kind of think that jobs are better occupied by folks who have a family to feed. I wouldn’t feel right taking a job away from them. I’ve been told that, while that’s a noble idea, if no one else is interested in the job, then you should feel no qualms about taking it.
And of course, in these pandemic times, I can’t think anyone would want someone in the ‘vulnerable age range’ roaming the halls.
But really, I have to say, I love the slow mornings and the relaxed dog walks and the Sunday evenings without the dreaded ‘Monday cloud’ hanging over me. 

Buddy isn’t phased in the least by my discussions with myself. As long as his meals arrive on time, I could stage an entire convention

What really interests me: Interviewing retirees

Q and A imprinted in wood

Continuing my persistent effort at ‘trying new’…

Since I’ve retired, I’ve always been interested in how other folks in their next chapter are adjusting to and enjoying this new stage.

I penned out a long list of questions I’d like to ask others. Here’s a sampling.

  1. What new things do you most want to do?
  2. What old things do you most want to revisit now that you probably have more time?
  3. What do you want to be on guard against? [i.e. bad habits, etc.]
  4. Is there anything you would want to teach others to do?
  5. What has surprised you about yourself since you retired?

Let me know if you’d like to either send text answers or opt for a quick audio interview.

Retiree interviews. Excerpt 1

Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay

I’m going to be interviewing retirees with a list of questions I recently brainstormed.

I decided before I talked to others, it might be a good idea to talk to myself, in the comfort of my own home–and sparing the neighbors already creeped out by my backyard soliloquies.

Today’s question…

Do you have a mantra for your life as a retiree?

I would say “Every day’s a snow day” is the closest I get to a mantra.
When I was teaching, snow days were rare, but so valued.–an entire 24 free hours in front of me and it spurred me to try something new, something that would set the day apart from a workday. It could have been a trudge through the snow with my wife to the nearby coffee shop to sit back and watch the falling snow through the massive picture windows. Or it could have been ‘popcorn for lunch’. It all worked for me. So, ‘every day’s a snow day’ is a good way to kick off each retirement morning.

Buddy isn’t phased in the least by my discussions with myself. As long as his meals arrive on time, I could stage an entire convention